


Iron Heart

by Horrificals



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, F/F, F/M, Gen, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Mutant Tony Stark, Not A Fix-It, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony-centric, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2020-05-16 04:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19310335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Horrificals/pseuds/Horrificals
Summary: Left for dead, Tony Stark did not think he would make it out of that Siberian bunker. Good thing his weird one-eyed uncle figure was there to pick up the pieces.Or the one where Tony gains some new powers, some perspective, and most importantly the family he'd always needed.ON HIATUS!





	1. The day the ice grew cold

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is my first MCU fic in a very long time, so please be patient lol. This is entirely MCU-based as It's been far too long since I've read the comics for that knowledge to be any use.
> 
> This is a canon-divergence from the end of the big Iron-man/Cap fight in CACW. The author is unashamedly Team Iron Man and this story is not TeamCap friendly!!! 
> 
> This is non-compliant with both Infinity War and Endgame, though some of those events may still come to pass here.
> 
> Finally, relationships will not be the forefront of this story, but will be (eventually) present. Don't expect everyone to be getting it on right away here.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated.
> 
> I own nothing here, and make no profit from this.

Tony groaned as he tried to shift, metal crushing down on his whole body. The iron man suit was cutting-edge, but was also a completely dead weight when powered down.  
  
He could feel the sharp pins-and-needles as his legs started to numb. Tony was only thankful the chestplate was a slightly lighter alloy than the rest, not that he could even think at this point.  
  
_At least the blood had stopped spurting from his face_ , Tony thought. He'd had enough broken noses in his life to know what had happened, but that was the least of his worries.  
  
His entire ribcage, already fragile at the best of times, was completely crushed. Tony still had problems from removing the arc reactor, but the heavy metal shield ramming into his chest really cemented the fact that Tony was in a word, fucked.  
  
Alternating sharp pains and dull aching eminated from where a glow used to sit, settling deep in his lungs and gradually weakening his breaths.  
  
Two hours he had been stuck here, left by the man he'd thought was a friend. He knew from Friday's earlier scans that the Wakandan pussycat had also been present, which Tony decided to feel more angry about when he was slightly less close to a visit from the grim reaper.  
  
Friday was programmed to send his co-ordinates to both Rhodey and Pepper the moment she lost contact with the suit, but Tony was an _idiot_ and truly made sure he came alone. No GPS. No Friday. Nothing.  
  
He wondered how long he would be dead before anyone found him.  
  
When the third hour approached Tony started blacking out, weaving in and out of consciousness several times before he truly felt like he was slipping away. Tony knew he was on his way out when he heard faint footsteps. He was pretty sure hallucinating was not a good sign.  
  
The footsteps stopped but Tony did not have the energy to force open his eyelids. He heard someone close to him, hot breath fanning against his visible ear.  
  
"It was not you who was meant to die here today Mr Stark. Rest, I will help you."  
  
With those accented words all faded to starry black.  


* * *

  
Helmut Zemo was far from stupid.  
  
When Rogers gained the upperhand, Zemo was fuming but practical. He abandoned his plans of joining his family at rest, and hid before the Wakandan vigilante could capture him. Zemo had underestimated Stark's compassion. He had hoped that Stark would kill Rogers and his pet assassin, but it was clear very quickly - Iron Man was pulling his punches.  
  
Zemo had seen first hand the damage that metal suit could do, and if Stark had wanted both Rogers and Barnes would be dead within seconds.  
  
He was not disappointed though. No, far from it. He had still caused irreparable damage to the farce of a team known as the Avengers, and the world saw them for what they truly were.  
  
Now, hours later, Zemo felt it safe enough to return to the bunker. He had watched the Wakandan leave with both Rogers and Barnes, and assumed Stark had left on his own terms. Zemo knew he wouldn't have long before various governments started swarming, he needed to retrieve his recordings (The most vital part of his plan!) and dispose of the Winter Soldiers.  
  
Zemo wanted to get his revenge, driven to madness by the loss of his family, but he did not want to watch the world burn. Leaving super soldier DNA lying around was a sure fire way to ignite that spark.  
  
He walked slowly through the bunker, gun raised and ready for any surprises. He checked each room as he went, thoroughly searching each and every one. Zemo had already taken the liberty of pilfering through any remaining files on the busted up old servers of the bunker, saving anything noteworthy for himself before deleting it all.  
  
He systematically made his way through the bunker, finally coming to a stop at the makeshift fighting ground. Zemo was surprised to see Rogers' shining blue, red, and silver shield lying by the entrance to the area, staring at it cotemplating for a moment before a gasping noise stole his attention.  
  
There, towards the back wall of the room, was a giant hunk of metal. It was difficult to discern in the darkening light but Zemo could guess it was from the Iron Man suit. Rogers must've done more damage than he thought.  
  
But if Stark had left by foot, he surely would've called others to him. The place should be buzzing by now.  
  
Zemo stowed his gun and started towards the pile of metal - Bullets would do nothing against a stray repulser blast. He leant over to get a better look and held back his surprise.  
  
This was not how he'd expected things to play out.  
  
Zemo looked over the bloody mess of a face, the only human feature visible in the metal. What was once a handsome face now bore a broken nose and what looked like a fractured cheekbone, crimson slick in some places and flaking dry in others. If not for the suit and his trademark facial hair, Zemo would've seriously doubted this was even Stark.  
  
He crouched low, curving a hand around the metal neckplates to check for a pulse. Weak, but still there. Stark was a fighter.  
  
Zemo started assessing the damage, taking in each injury with practiced detachment. His chest was completely caved in, sharp bone jutting out from the tears in the metal. Blood was slowly seeping everywhere and Zemo knew Stark would not survive much longer without medical intervention.  
  
As he tried to decide what to do with the man, Zemo registered Stark's semi-consciousness. He leaned down carefully next to the other man's ear.  
  
"It was not you who was meant to die here today Mr Stark. Rest, I will help you." With that promise, Zemo set to work.  
  
He tirelessly peeled back layers of dead armour, knowing he'd be unable to lift Stark in it. When enough scraps of metal had been thrown to the side, Zemo steadily pulled Stark from the suit, reminiscent of the delicate way he'd had to handle the bombs. He pulled the man up into a bridal carry and started the walk back to his vehicle, hidden at a back entrance to the bunker.  


* * *

 

Tony struggled to take a small breath in, deep cutting pain burning his lungs. He blearily tried to blink, trying to find the energy to wipe the dust away from his blurred eyes.  
  
He managed to raise a hand to his face and rub at his eyes, but even Tony knew his increasingly sharp inhales were a bad sign.  
  
He wondered how long he'd been stuck in the bunker, and if the creeping cold meant he was close to death.  
  
Tony's vision swam, the room a blur of grey and black, the only thing partly clear being a moving dark shape to his left.  
  
"Hggngh?" Tony wheezed at the shape.  
  
"Mr Stark, you are very close to death right now. I would appreciate it if you could keep still while I try to save your life."  
  
That accented voice again. Tony was sure he recognised it, but couldn't place where while his head was ringing so loudly.  
  
He managed to lower his arm again though, and recognised the tell tale pull of an IV he hadn't noticed before.  
  
"I've got a blood transfusion set up, and I'm seeing what I can do for your chest. I'll admit, it is a mess." The voice was clinically neutral.  
  
"I've called somebody to bring help, a doctor. With luck, she will be able to assist you."  
  
Tony grunted in response, pain searing.  
  
"I'll hook you up to something for the pain shortly, I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be a waste of good morphine first."  
  
A throaty chuckle. Well, at least the voice found his impending loss of life amusing.  
  
The shape moved across his vision again, carefully poking at Tony's bandaged nose and arm.  
  
"Both your nose and left radius are broken, not much I can do about those unfortunately."  
  
The shape continued moving, now pressing at his chest, taking note of where Tony inhaled and flinched.  
  
"I will not be able to fix your chest, I admit I doubt even a doctor could fix it now."  
  
The shape now started moving away, fading into the grey of the room.  
  
"Please know I am truly sorry Stark... You tried to repent, that matters in the end I believe."  
  
The voice faded away with the shape and Tony sighed, closing his unseeing eyes once more.

* * *

  
Zemo pinched the bridge of his nose, tension building closer to a headache by the second.  
  
He had been keeping Stark alive, but it was close. Zemo knew a few more days and the billionaire superhero would be gone. The damage to his lungs was nigh irreparable, and Zemo did not have the medical training to come anywhere close to fixing it.  
  
It was a miracle Stark had survived this long.  
  
It had been three days since he had taken Stark from the bunker, holing up in another abandoned base. Zemo had enough medical supplies to last another day or two, and then he would have to venture into the nearest town - which was days away even by car.  
  
He could only hope the doctor arrived soon.

  
Zemo had many acquaintances from his days fighting, and had called one of the few doctors he actually trusted to come to his makeshift hideout. He knew Stark wouldn't approve - the woman was less than a law abiding citizen - but she took her oaths seriously, and Zemo trusted that she would keep quiet.  
  
Just as he was beginning to debate making the trip to the nearest town, the intercom started buzzing.  
  
"UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO INNER ROOMS." A mechanical voice shouted over the suddenly blaring alarms.  
  
Zemo ran towards the door, gun quickly loosening from it's holster and raising into the air. He headed towards the room he had left Stark in, knowing there was nothing else worth looking for in the hideout.  
  
Zemo was in such a rush that he amateurishly ran straight past several open doorways, not seeing the man waiting in one of them. He was pulled back by the collar and felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of his head before he could turn around.  
  
"Drop the gun... Now you got 60 seconds to take me to whatever the fuck your hiding in this shithole or I'm gonna put a bullet straight through your head."  
  
It was an American by the voice. Male. Confident.  
  
Not much Zemo could do with that information though, and while he considered himself an honourable man, he would not die for Stark.  
  
"This way." Zemo said, voice even. He slowly took a step forward and when he was sure he wouldn't get shot, he kept going.  
  
He led the man to the end of one of many long corridors, a turn away from where he had been keeping Stark. At the last moment Zemo turned, intending to disarm the man.  
  
A palm drove straight into his nose, making Zemo see stars before the butt of a gun smacked into his temple, blackening his vision. He blinked several times in quick succession, trying to see his attacker.  
  
A tall black man towered over his falling form, eyebrow raised over an oddly-intimidating eyepatch.  
  
Zemo staggered to the floor, struggling to get back up as dizziness overtook him. He heaved himself to his knees, lunging forward to tackle the man. A second blow to the head with the end of the gun came and Zemo fell for the final time.  



	2. Nick Fury's not great day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are heating up, and Tony really needs that hug!
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys!
> 
> WARNING: Needle use in a medical context.

Nicholas J Fury was not having a good day.  
  
First, the tip-off he got about an active Hydra base deep in the snows of Siberia ended up being a bust. He was sent on some wild-goose chase across four abandoned bases only to find that Hydra hadn't gone near them in years, and in fact it was Americans causing the problems (Nothing unusual there he could admit).  
  
The fourth base was a bunker deep in the god-knows-where. Nick found not only several recently burned bodies, but Captain America's shield and a good portion of a busted-up Iron Man suit.  
  
Nick loaded the shield and all the metal he could salvage into his Jeep, and set off to the next base on the list.  
  
Hopefully someone there knew what the fuck was going on, because Nick Fury was at the end of his tether.  


* * *

  
Four hours and a busted lip later, Nick had a Sokovian tied up and out for the count. He left him in what looked like a glorified break room and returned to the dying man he'd found in the medical bay.  
  
Tony Stark.  
  
The man had always been a mystery to Nick, and more than a slight pain in the ass, but much as he tried to dislike the man he couldn't. Not only was Stark supremely intelligent, he was funny, sharp, and just a tad sneaky. If he wasn't so damn ostentatious, he would've made a more than brilliant spy.  
  
Nick found himself quietly growing affectionate of the self-titled billionaire playboy philanthropist. They might not have gotten off on the right foot, but after New York the two were (not that they would ever admit it) friends.  
  
Ultron had been a big mess all around, but the blame lay on all of their shoulders, not just Stark's. If any one of them had been a little less technologically illiterate, they would've realised Stark's and Banner's coding alone would not have made the sentient evil robot (and here Nick had to seriously give some side-eye, because he knew at the very least his two agents were smarter than that). It was just the icing on the shit-cake that the dear Captain had let a damn Hydra agent onto the team.  
  
And now here they were. Nick had stayed away from the whole 'Civil War' as the media was calling it, knowing this would be the test that made or broke Earth's mightiest heroes. He had hoped they would all use the one collective brain cell they seemed to share to realise the Accords were not only necessary, but a good thing.  
  
Nick Fury had spent almost his whole life protecting the people of earth from harm, and now the people had decided that their protectors were the threat. Nick could only listen to the people.  
  
So here he was, trying desperately to save the one man that could probably gain the public's trust back again.  
  
"Stark? Stark? Tony?" Nick called almost gently, trying to get some response out of the prostrate man.  
  
Tony let out a groan, not quite conscious but aware of his name being called. Everything had been fuzzy after the accented man had left, and now someone new was calling to him.  
  
This voice he knew well, Tony doubted he could ever forget the voice of Nick Fury, distinctive as it was.  
  
"I'm gonna need you to be patient here Tony, I'm gonna call some help but it'll take awhile to get here. You've got a long way to go before you can tell the grim reaper to take a hike."  
  
Nick kept his voice light and tried to inflect some humour to keep Tony calm. _This was gonna be one hell of a ride._  
  
He rifled through the various medical bags and boxes littered around the med bay, most of them empty and already used. With a stroke of immense luck, Nick found a case of morphine vials.  
  
"Looks like it's your lucky day Stark, got enough pain meds to down a horse here."  
  
Nick found an unused syringe, tore it from it's packet and set to work. With practiced ease he filled the syringe with the liquid drug and quickly inserted it into Tony's non-broken arm. He pulled a small amount of blood back into the syringe then unloaded the whole thing into his vein.  
  
Nick kept quiet as he worked, and Tony felt the medication take hold. His vision started to become clearer, murky shapes taking defined form. The fog in his head started to clear and he found he could actually think in sentences once more.  
  
Tony rasped unintelligably and slowly gestured to his throat. Nick caught on quickly and found him an unopened bottle of water, bringing it to Tony's mouth and helping him sip.  
  
"Why...Why are you here?" Tony asked when he'd finished drinking, voice gravelly from disuse.  
  
"The world need heroes Stark, and I'm not about to let one of them die in Fuck-Knows-Where, Siberia," Nick retorted, before continuing "as for why I am also in Fuck-Knows-Where Siberia, Hydra apparently likes the cold."  
  
Tony snorted and lay back slightly, wincing as the pain in his chest flared.  
  
"So what's the verdict Doctor?"  
  
"Ain't nothing short of a miracle gonna fix that shit Stark, lucky for you I got miracles hiding all over the place. We just gotta get you outta here first."  
  
Nick paused, lowering himself to a sitting position on the floor.  
  
"I gave that fancy suit of yours a quick jump start, still dead metal but the lights are pretty and I'm hoping that's enough to get a signal out. Otherwise we're both fucked, 'cause there's no way my car's fast enough to get you anywhere near civilization before you kick the bucket."  
  
Tony nodded and quietened, brain still too adled to be of much help at this point. He closed his eyes, content to let the medication work.  


* * *

  
Tony slept for six hours in total. When he woke, Nick was dozing a few feet away against a wall. He took the few quiet moments to assess his situation.  
  
His chest felt a little better, which was still agony beyond comprehension, but he knew the injuries were far more integral than any stitches could heal. At least his nose and arm were less sore, but Tony knew they were still broken. The pain-relieving effects of the morphine would've been nice if not for the looming threat of his demise.  
  
Tony sighed and heaved himself into a slightly more inclined position. He grabbed a nearby cotton bud with his unbroken arm and threw it at Nick, hoping to wake him up.  
  
Without opening his eye, Nick reached up and caught the cotton bud in a fist.  
  
"Your lucky I'm not a shoot first kinda guy Stark." Nick mumbled, eye still closed.  
  
"You most definitely are a shoot first kinda guy. Just admit it, I'm your favourite child." Tony grinned, the familiar distraction of wordplay distracting from the pain.  
  
"You're not my least favourite child Stark, that'll have to do." Nick snorted.  
  
He finally sighed and ran a hand over his head, rising from the floor and walking over to change Tony's IV drip.  
  
"I tried to have a little talk with your captor-saviour. He was none too willing to have chat. Couldn't get a name out of him, you got any idea?" Nick asked as he unhooked the drip from its stand.  
  
Tony thought for a moment, mind going back to the accented voice he heard. Now his mind was less clouded he easily placed the man.  
  
"Helmut Zemo, Sokovian, vengeful streak a mile wide and a small bomb habit... but he also gave me a few more hours to live than I would've had there."  
  
Nick nodded, recognising the name. He truly had stayed far away from the Accords and old 'thunderbolt' Ross, but Maria had kept him vaguely updated before he went off the grid in Siberia.  
  
Nick was about to administer another dose of pain medication when the intercom alarms started blaring.  
  
"UNAUTHORISED ACCESS TO INNER ROOMS." The mechanical voice shouted.  
  
"Now that's just becoming a damn theme." Nick sighed, gun ready within seconds.  
  
He'd have a better chance of escape going to meet the intruder, but that would leave Stark vulnerable which he wasn't willing to allow just yet.  
  
The sound of heavy boots on concrete and loud shouting came closer and closer, melding with the noise of multiple doors being kicked open.

Nick stood solidly in front of Tony, feet rooted firmly and gun raised high in the air.  
  
The door slammed open, hitting the wall and rebounding. Several plain black-clothed soldiers entered the room, all carrying sleek black assault rifles. They created a semi-circle formation around Nick and the bed Tony was laying on, all steadily pointing their guns at Nick's head.  
  
"Sir, please put down your weapon." The one directly opposite Nick spoke, the order clear in his voice.  
  
"You first asshole."  
  
"Sir, put down your weapon or we will shoot." The soldier was firmer this time.  
  
"And I said, you first ass-" Nick was interupted by another entry to the room.  
  
A red-faced Happy Hogan entered, his own gun present and raised threateningly until he saw the occupants of the room.  
  
"For god's sake, everyone weapons down, we don't have time for this." He immediately called, eyes glued to his boss's still form.  
  
Tony perked up at the sight of Happy and would've grinned in relief if it weren't for the aching nose.  
  
Help had finally arrived.  


* * *

  
Tony shifted appreciatively as he settled into the soft linen bed of the Compound's medical bay.  
  
The flight back had been hellish, every bump and turn wrenching Tony's chest painfully.  
  
They had touched down at the Avengers Compound around 3 o'clock in the morning, but an SI medical team were ready and waiting on the tarmac with a stretcher. Tony vaguely saw Pepper, Rhodey, and Vision behind them but was too doped up to do anything more than give them a weak wave.  
  
Dr Marija Flores, Tony's personal doctor, then spent the next two hours combing over every injury with a fine-tooth comb. She bandaged up his nose and had a nurse put a cast on his arm, but was at a loss with what to do about his chest.  
  
"With the aid of Dr Cho's cradle we will be able to tentatively fix most of your ribcage and lungs." She told him, biting her lip when Tony immediately brightened "But I'm afraid Mr Stark, that will be an end to your time as iron man. Your body can simply not continue to take the strain of the suit."  
  
Tony flinched and waved the doctor away, thanking her for her work before asking for a moment alone.  
  
"Fri can you get Fury in here please?"  
  
"Of course Boss, he's waiting outside the bay with the others."  
  
Just a few seconds later Nick pushed his way through the doors and made his way to stand beside Tony's bed.  
  
"I can't give up Iron Man, not yet... You said something about miracles earlier?" Tony asked, eyes cast down on the white bedsheets.

Nick was silent for a moment before speaking.  
  
"Hill's on her way with whatever we had on hand, you've got a few options." Nick paused, pulling up a cushioned chair from near another bed before he continued.  
  
"We see a whole lot of shit at SHIELD Stark, and most of it is better wiped off the face of the planet. But occasionally we stumble on something brilliant."  
  
Tony waited with bated breath as Nick sat back to make himself more comfortable. Against his better judgement, he was curious.  
  
"Friday could you get up those files I sent you please?" Nick asked the ceiling politely.  
  
Tony's Starkpad blinkered to life, three new folders slotting into place on the screen. Tony maneuvered himself to look at it with his unbroken arm, and brought up a hologram to make it easier for him in his bedbound state. The three folders flashed up in turn.  
  
Extremis.

MGH.

Erskine serum-derivative.

"All three are extremely experimental, but they're your best chance of living to see next week." Nick said, breaking the silence as Tony looked over each file.  
  
"I know extremis pretty personally, can't say I'm keen to use it. The Erskine serum-derivative has potential, but hey I'm sure Bruce said the same thing before he turned into the Jolly Green Giant...and what exactly is MGH?" Tony rattled off once he had finished with the files.  
  
"From tests we've recovered from AIM, Hydra and any other idiot who's used Extremis, it's not the easiest option but it has merit." Nick said, pointing towards different pages of the first file.  
  
"The Erskine serum-derivative is the most experimental of the bunch, it's true. No one's ever been able to replicate it exactly, not even the Winter Soldiers match up to Rogers in that respect." He continued, tackling Tony's second point.  
  
"And finally we have the MGH, mutant growth hormone. Created by one of the usual shady underground research facilities, this one called 'The Workshop'. The hormone requires a catalyst to activate any ah _mutant genes_ in your system," Nick waved his hands here, preferring to leave the science to the scientist. "Their catalyst of choice being extreme torture and physical stress."  
  
"No offence, but I don't think I'm really in tip-top torturing shape right now." Tony replied as he mulled over his options.  
  
"I wouldn't have brought it up, but on the people who didn't die from said torture, there was an almost 100% success rate. They had guys come in with all sorts of diseases, cancer, and worse. Not only did it heal them... some were left with a few more parlour tricks than they started with." Here Nick gave him a meaningful look that Tony had no idea how to interpret.  
  
Tony sighed and looked over each file again.  
  
"Friday start running the logistics for me. Which serum's least likely to kill me, which one's got a hope in hell of fixing me, the usual... And if your feeling extra nice see if you can't leave out the torture."  
  
Nick snorted and left Tony to rest.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Tony's got a choice to make and Pepper takes on Thaddeus Ross.


	3. Out of the frying pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it!!! 
> 
> I adore Pepper with all of my heart, so she'll be playing a big part to this story starting with this chapter.

Nick left Tony alone to think on his options soon after. He only had a few moments reprieve however, before a trio of rather irate looking people came in.  
  
"Anthony Stark you have exactly 60 seconds to start talking, and it had better be good." Pepper Potts demanded as she walked over to the bed, heels clicking attractively against the laminated floor.  
  
Tony flinched as she came to a stop at the end of his bed, arms crossed and perfectly plucked eyebrows raised. He would rather have been back in the bunker than facing off against his best friend, CEO, and convincing fire-breathing dragon impressionist.  
  
"Kinda got in a scrap with two super-soldiers." Tony mumbled, hand scratching at the back of his neck.  
  
While he and Pepper had called it quits quite a few months ago now, she was still his best friend and confidant. Pepper knew Tony in ways only two others knew him, and they also happened to be glaring at him like they were getting ready to tear him apart.  
  
"So what, Wilson your mama now? He tells you to go to the snowy depths of fucking Russia alone and you listen to him?" Rhodey started ranting, obviously displeased with Tony's answer.  
  
He didn't wait for Tony to reply before continuing.  
  
"Me, Happy, Vision, hell even the kid could've gone with you." He wheeled around to stop by the side of Tony's bed, and Tony tried not to flinch as he saw that damned wheelchair and the guilt hit him again. Rhodey just sighed.  
  
"We were worried out of our minds you big idiot." Rhodey finished, giving Tony a sharp poke in his slightly-less-dying side.  
  
Both Pepper and Rhodey seemed to have calmed some since seeing Tony in his hospital bed but the final occupant of the room was not budging. Tony knew Happy Hogan could hold a grudge like no other.  
  
"Look, I really am sorry about the running off, but I thought I could bring them both in. I didn't think Ca- _Rogers_ would turn like that." Tony pleaded, looking each of them in the eye in turn.  
  
"What started the fight Tony?" Pepper asked softly, not satisfied with what she had heard so far. There was something else at play here.  
  
Tony was silent, thoughts of cold dark roads and metal hands around slim pale necks flashing through his mind.  
  
"I- I'll tell you, I promise, Just give me a little time please. I mean, I am kinda dying here."  
  
Tony stumbled over his words and threw in the joke to lighten the moment. He still struggled to open up, but these people were his family and they deserved to know the truth. Tony refused to be anything like Rogers.  
  
He thought they were ready to move on, until Happy finally spoke.  
  
"What do you mean, dying?" Happy's face was thunderous. Oh dear.  
  
"Getting repeatedly smacked in the chest with a good few pounds of vibranium ain't good for ya Hap," Tony said softly, "lucky for me old Nicky's decided to grace me with one of his patented Fury miracles."  
  
Happy looked relieved but both Rhodey and Pepper now looked considering. Tony knew Rhodey would accept whatever kept Tony alive, but Pepper was a tougher nut to crack.  
  
Pepper looked at him deeply for a moment, pure affection and worry on her face. Seconds later it wiped clean as Pepper Potts, CEO and absolute tiger, came out to play.  
  
First, she turned to Rhodey and Happy, reeling off her orders like a true drill sergeant.  
  
"I want constant updates, one of you or Vision is to be with him at all times. Make sure Dr Flores is kept in the loop and any inkling of SHIELD funny business and they are out of here by any means necessary."  
  
Next she turned to Tony, who shuffled under his blanket slightly. He would later completely deny he was trying to hide.  
  
"And you mister! You will do exactly as the doctor says, I hear one word of you making your injuries worse and I'm on the first flight back." Pepper had her hands on her hips, full wonder-woman posing by the end of her orders.  
  
"Yes mother," Tony rolled his eyes before thinking through what she said, "wait, where are you going?"  
  
Pepper softened and came to sit by Tony's side, perching daintily on the bed. She took his good hand in hers and squeezed lightly.  
  
"The accords were the right thing to do Tony, and you have our full support with them, but they need work." She paused to gauge his reaction, and was reassured by Tony's smile.  
  
"I've always had more political flair than you Tony, that's why you put me in charge in the first place. I think it's time Europe met Virginia Potts." She finished.  
  
"I agree Pep, I don't think I'm exactly in any shape for politics right now," Tony said and broke out into a grin, "You go get 'em Tiger."  


* * *

  
"So what's the verdict Fri?" Tony asked his youngest creation, Rhodey dozing in an empty bed to the left of him.  
  
"I've ran several simulations boss, and I believe your best chance will be a mix of two serums."  
  
A hologram appeared before Tony's bed, showing a rough schematic of his body and several statistics along the side.  
  
"Extremis would be sufficient to catalyze a reaction from the mutant growth hormone, which in turn should stabilize the Extremis serum as it in essence turns on the healing factors of your body. The only variable to this would be the possibility of other genes awakening."  
  
Tony looked up, alarmed.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I have taken the liberty of looking into the Workshop's research on their use of the hormone boss. Several of their patients showed signs of increased stamina, strength, and varying powers that would qualify them as metahuman."  
  
"Can you show me?"  
  
"There are several tapes available boss but there is also another course of action. I believe Mr Parker is acquainted with one of the Workshop's previous patients; A mercenary with extraordinary healing abilities by the name of Wade Wilson, locally known as Deadpool."  
  
Tony sighed a ran a hand through his hair, processing the information.  
  
"Inform Fury and Hill of the plan babygirl, I need it done as soon as possible. See if you can get a hold of Peter too, maybe invite him down to the compound if I manage not to die."  
  
"On it, boss."  


* * *

  
Animal instinct was enough to get the corridor of highly decorated army personel to make way for Pepper Potts, whose smile was as graceful as it was sharklike.  
  
She had chosen her most severe suit for this meeting, the midnight blue highlighting the flaming strands of her hair. Sensible navy heels finished the look and Pepper knew she made a foreboding image, striding down the corridors of the government building.  
  
She unconsciously fiddled with the silver ring on her left middle finger as she made her way towards the office marked 'SENATOR' in printed black on the door. The ring had been a gift from Tony, not long after they first got together. It was a delicate band made of entwining silver branches, that culminated in a circular cut stone. To the untrained eye the stone looked to be a simple opal, but could in actual fact produce a small but powerful repulsor beam.  
  
Pepper stopped in front of the door, feet in line with her shoulders and head set firmly upwards, and knocked with purpose in three raps.  
  
"Come in." A female voice called.  
  
Pepper opened the door and took a few steps in, closing the door behind her. She had entered into a small antechamber-type room, with a large cherrywood desk guarding the inner door. Sitting at the desk was a large blonde woman wearing thick wire glasses.  
  
The woman took one look at Pepper, raised a single brow and picked up the receiver on her phone. A speed dial later and the woman was murmuring, "Miss Potts here to see you, General."  
  
The woman looked incredibly bored as she listened to the other person then simply nodded and hung up the phone.  
  
"Right this way ma'am." The woman spoke as she rose from the desk quickly and gestured Pepper through to the next door.  
  
The woman opened the door and turned back towards her desk, not saying a word to either Pepper or General Thaddeus Ross looking through the doorway.  
  
"Come in Potts, take a seat." Ross said gruffly, sitting back in his leather chair and watching Pepper like a hawk.  
  
Pepper kept her head raised high as she made her way to the seat, pulling out the chair and lowering herself regal as any queen.  
  
"I won't waste your time General, I'm here to talk about the Accords." Pepper told him, voice flat.  
  
"I thought Stark was handling it himself, what too good for us lowly officials now?" Ross mocked, eyes taking on a predatory gleam.  
  
Pepper leaned forwards and gave her patented fire-breathing smile, eyes glowing fiercly. She wouldn't take his bait.  
  
"Mr Stark is a very busy man General, and as Stark Industries is becoming increasingly entwined in the superhero business, I felt it prudent to take over negotiations." She paused to breathe but did not give him time to interrupt, "I already have several suggestions for amendments to be made. I am simply here to make you an offer."  
  
"Oh really?" Ross scoffed, looking at Pepper with undisguised amusement. He doubted she had anything worthwhile to offer him.  
  
"My suggestions will go through, I can almost guarantee it. As the CEO of Stark Industries I hold a lot of sway, you are not unaware of this General, or you wouldn't have agreed to see me."  
  
"That doesn't tell me why I should enter any kind of deal with you Miss Potts."  
  
"People are beginning to question your methods after the prison break from the Raft, not in the least because you kept those prisoners there under dubious circumstances. By showing you are open to my suggestions, and working with both Iron Man and Stark Industries in creating a better world, you are giving no reason for questions to be asked."  
  
"That almost sounds like blackmail Miss Potts."  
  
Pepper shrugged carefully, knowing she almost had him. She knew Tony would not approve of this deal, but they needed allies to make headway with the Accords, and once they had what they needed Pepper would not hesitate in making sure the truly abhorrent General faced justice.  
  
"When there's blood in the water General, it's only a matter of time before the sharks come looking...I won't wait long for your answer."  
  
With those parting words, Pepper rose and turned on one foot, immediately walking out of the office before Ross could retaliate. She gave his bored-looking assistant a polite nod as she passed, hand carefully brushing against the edge of her desk and placing the tiny bug that Tony had had specially made.  
  
Pepper walked out the door feeling hopeful.  


* * *

  
Dr Flores clucked disapprovingly as she looked over the plan. Sometimes she wondered why she stayed on at the compound, the injuries she dealt with becoming more and more dangerous by the day.  
  
"I suppose I cannot dissuade you from this plan Mr Stark?" Her usually soft Guadalajara accent becoming thicker with her frustration.  
  
"You've been around long enough Doc, you think I'm the type to shy away from certain death?" Tony purred, batting his eyelashes in an exaggerated manor.  
  
Dr Flores simply sighed and shook her head, heading to the operating theatre without another word.  
  
Tony tapped his fingers impatiently against the bedside table, wanting it all to just be over with. While technically not an operation, Dr Flores and her temporary assistant Vision both agreed the theatre would be the best place for the procedure. It was devoid of anything except medical equipment and was only accessible through the main medical bay - which Fury, Rhodey, and Happy would be guarding.  
  
It was decided that only Vision, Dr Flores, and Maria Hill would be present for the procedure. Tony had been surprised to learn that Hill had a medical degree, but had to admit that while they were tentative friends, neither liked to talk about their past much. Hill's no-nonsense attitude and sensible nature made her an excellent in a crisis, which was why Tony was happy to have her there.  
  
Tony wouldn't say he was nervous - but there was a very real chance that the procedure would go horribly wrong and Tony would end up a scorch mark on the gleaming theatre floor. Who wouldn't be a little apprehensive?  
  
He was pulled from his thoughts when Rhodey - who had been sitting next to him and chatting to Friday - patted him on the leg and wished him luck.  
  
"Now don't be doing anything stupid like dying on us, or I'll have to whoop your ghosts ass." Rhodey told him, voice light but his stormy eyes betraying him.  
  
Rhodey didn't know what he'd do without his brother in all but blood.  
  
Vision walked primly through the swing doors from the theatre, unclipped the brakes on Tony's and started wheeling him towards the theatre, all with a gentle smile on his face.  
  
"Myself and Friday have been running the numbers and believe the process should take no more than an hour to take effect. The use of Extremis greatly accelerates the hormone." Vision explained as they moved, the voice of JARVIS soothing Tony instead of filling him with grief as it usually did.  
  
Vision maneuvered the bed into the middle of the pristine operating theatre, leaving Tony squished between several monitors.  
  
"As discussed earlier we will use light restraints during the procedure, to eliminate the chance of you hurting yourself or others in the throes of an adverse reaction Mr Stark." Dr Flores told him softly as she came to stand next to the bed, fiddling with what looked like a heart-monitor with multiple inputs.  
  
She took Tony through the procedure once more, asking for verbal consent to everything before they began, just to make absolutely sure.  
  
"You kidding? It's a rough Tuesday if I haven't put my life in danger at least once." Tony teased, drawing a smile from the Doctor and a small upturn of the lips from Hill.  
  
Vision just looked faintly confused, as he usually did whenever Tony joked about his impending doom.  
  
Once everything was prepared, Hill fastened padded cuffs to Tony's wrists and ankles, taking extra care with his broken arm. Hill had mentioned before how painful the process could be, and that was not even considering the addition of Extremis, so the cuffs were a precaution against Tony harming himself or one of the others in his pain without realising.  
  
Dr Flores prepared the serums and passed a syringe each to Hill and to Vision, who were on either side of the bed.  
  
In one fluid motion Hill found a vein and expertly injected Tony with a pale yellow liquid spotted with red droplets. It did not look particularly pleasent, but if there was one thing Howard Stark had taught his son, it was how to suck it up and get on with it.  
  
They waited briefly for the first injection to take hold. Tony felt no different at all except for a newly sore patch at the crook of his left elbow. He was unfortunately aware the pain would not come until the Extremis.  
  
Then, once Friday announced that sufficient time had passed, Vision was ready with the second injection. This one held a glowing orange liquid of a thick consistency that looked like molten lava. Extremis. The extra fun one, Tony thought sardonically.  
  
Vision made quick work of injecting Tony, then all three standing in the room moved away from the bed. They were close enough to provide help, but in the case of the Extremis taking over, Tony had demanded they be as close to an escape as possible.  
  
Twenty minutes passed uneventfully. Friday noted that Tony's temperature was steadily rising well above what was normal for a human, but apart from some warmth Tony felt nothing at all.  
  
It was exactly twenty-three minutes since the injections that Tony began to feel something. Heat started to build deep in his bones, rising to unbearable temperatures. Soon, his blood felt like steaming hot water, burning it's way through his veins.  
  
Bright lights flashed above him and Tony screwed his eyes shut, dull aching pain building.  
  
The heat seemed to concentrate in his chest, a swirling pool of fire across his ribcage. Tony felt traces of the fire spreading across his face and broken arm too, but could not think around the burning to realise healing was taking place.  
  
"Temperature teaching critical levels!" Friday's voice sounded as panicked as Tony had ever heard, but he was comforted by the sound of his youngest creation.  
  
Several minutes passed this way, Tony writhing in pain and only held safe by the cuffs. The heat only seemed to get worse by the second, burning through and charring Tony from the inside out.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an age, Tony felt the burning start to receed and filter back from the tips of his fingers and toes, concentrating in his chest. Tony felt unbelievable relief, the coolness in his limbs invigorating him more than any morning coffee.  
  
"Temperature cooling, Extremis stabilizing, MGH integration succes-" Friday's voice cut off.  
  
The lights sparked out and all was dark.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dont worry! Pepper will be dealing with Ross once and for all soon, but she's got some work to do first.
> 
> Next chapter: Tony and co make a big decision and our favourite Russian spider makes an appearance.


	4. New and Old faces alike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So this chapter takes place immediately after the last for the most part, and sees some new characters entering the mix!
> 
> Warnings: some violence

Long threads of dark red hair fell into the sink as the woman hacked at her head with a pair of scissors.   
  
She kept cutting until her hair fell to a sharp line at her chin, the sink an ocean of deep auburn locks. When the woman had decided the cut looked even enough, she turned to the box of bleach dye she had purchased at a small pharmacy a few doors down from the hotel.  
  
While the colour was developing, the woman returned to packing her bags. She had been staying at the small Polish hotel for a few weeks now, unwilling to recross the German border so soon after the incident. But the few weeks had been far too long already, her enemies were closing in and she needed to be prepared. She needed to return to her family.  
  
An hour later, she was back at the sink again, mourning her lovely red hair. The platinum blonde was severe, but it was different enough from her usual look to act as a disguise until she reached the airport. If she was ever allowed home, she promised herself she would return to her red.  
  
The woman changed into a plain black outfit, a simple jacket and jeans combo that would allow her to fit in with the crowds. She slipped two extra magazines of bullets into her jeans pocket, and checked her guns were secure against her back. The woman had also strapped several small knives to various areas of her body, and had a bespoke pair of electric cuff bracelets on her wrists; her custom Widow Bites.  
  
She picked up the small rucksack she would be taking with her and made her way to reception to check out. A long cab drive later and the woman entered Warsaw Modlin Airport.   
  
"Natalia Roma, what a pretty name." The overly-friendly airport attendant told the woman, flipping her shiny brunette hair over her shoulder.  
  
"Thanks." The woman - Natalia - replied, voice flat and uninviting. She didn't want to be held up any longer than necessary.  
  
The attendant stamped Natalia's passport and handed the paperwork back over, her smile turning slightly brittle. Natalia nodded in return and stepped away, following the arrows through long-windowed corridors to the large aeroplane.  
  
" _This is the U876 Warsaw to New York, ETA 12 o'clock. Settle in folks, and we hope you enjoy your flight with us._ " The pilot droned over the speakers, forcing cheer into his voice.  
  
Natasha Romanoff sighed happily, she was finally going home.

* * *

 

"What the hell?" Rhodey's voice cut through the darkness, shouting over the loud whirling of the backup generators kicking in.   
  
"Hill report." Nick spoke into his watch.  
  
"Stark flatlined, the doctor started CPR and he came back to us, released some sort of large energy spike when he did, seems to have tripped the electrics of the whole building." Hill's voice filtered through the speaker, talking urgently.  
  
With a loud clatter the back up generators started working and the medical bay was flooded with light again.   
  
Rhodey and Happy blinked at each other, struggling to adjust to the light.  
  
"Friday?" Nick called towards the ceiling.  
  
"Backup systems fully operational. Restoring general functions: 30% complete. Perimeter scan complete and clear." Friday's Irish lilt was neutral, a stark difference from her usual chipper tone.  
  
Rhodey sighed in relief and reholstered that small handgun he had unclipped as soon as the lights went out.  
  
"No intruders then. Friday will take awhile to get back up and running, we might as well buckle back down." Rhodey told the others in the room, content that Tony would be safe.  
  
"Patient is stable, heart rate and blood pressure have returned to normal. Patient appears to be conducting electrical sparks between his fingertips, however there is no sign that this is a conscious effort." Dr Flores' voice filtered through Nick's comm.  
  
Rhodey and Happy shared a confused look but Nick just looked gleeful. _It was just like he'd expected then._   
  
The three men settled back into silence, all lost in their own thoughts.  
  
On the hour mark, Vision finally wheeled Tony back into the main medical bay, Dr Flores and Maria Hill trailing behind him.   
  
Tony was still pale against the white bedsheets, but looked better than he had in months. The ever-present bags under his eyes had faded to the lightest purple, and the indented bruise that had covered his face was completely gone. His broken arm even looked healed, now resting casually at his side.  
  
Most importantly, his chest no longer looked caved in. Hill had removed his shirt before the procedure to keep track of the healing process, and it certainly looked like it had worked. Tony's chest had filled back out and - Rhodey noted with relief - his chest was rising up and down in breath completely normally.  
  
They all simply watched him for a few moments, sleeping soundly.   
  
"What happened?" Rhodey finally asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Some kind of electrical manipulation, Stark seemed to be producing the current himself." Hill explained, still unsure herself.  
  
"It's not...unexpected," Nick broke in, hesitantly sharing his suspicions, "The patients who have successfully used this treatment in the past have occasionally developed new abilities, usually enhancements on things they already have a natural inclination for."   
  
Rhodey sighed and tried not to let the impending headache take over.  
  
"Okay, so forgetting whatever magical powers he may or may not have now, is he gonna be okay?" He asked, aiming at Dr Flores - the only one he considered to have any sense at this point.  
  
"The results are promising. His injuries have healed at a dramatic rate, it's now just a waiting game for Mr Stark to wake up."   
  
Dr Flores was excited beyond belief, the medical possibilities if this worked were endless; people with diagnosed 'hopeless' cases could be cured, a marvel if there ever was one.  
  
The group returned to silence for a while longer, all worried for the man they had grown too fond of to lose.  
  
Eventually Friday returned to full functionality and Vision volunteered to keep first watch. The group disbanded, content that Tony was well cared for at this moment in time.  


* * *

  
Pepper sighed deeply as she kicked off her heels, cool air relaxing her as she took a moment to relax back in the upholstered blue loveseat.   
  
"He's stable so far Pep, Friday's keeping constant on his vitals and all's looking good." The slightly blurred image of Rhodey spoke, the projection limited by the hotel's power supply.  
  
"That's good, let me know if anything changes... And tell Fury I'm holding him personally responsible if something goes wrong."  
  
Pepper entertained herself with visions of her favourite heels and Fury's remaining eye for a second before turning serious again.  
  
"Where's Happy anyway?" Pepper asked, expecting him to have joined the call as usual.  
  
"Interviews. He's decided the compound needs more protection, so he's looking at bringing in more security."  
  
Pepper raised a brow but did not say anything. It was true having only Happy there was a slight worry, but usually the superheroes were enough to steer away intruders. _Oh well_ , she thought, _more security couldn't hurt._  
  
"I've got to go soon, they want me to meet with the new recruits, assess their suitability for the Avengers, like I have a say in it." Pepper groaned mournfully.  
  
Rhodey looked chagrined.  
  
"About that Pep, me and Tones had a little talk before his treatment, and I've talked it over with Fury and Vision too." He visibly straightened himself up, preparing himself.  
  
"We think it's time to end the Avengers Initiative."  
  
Pepper blinked owlishly as she processed the words, before taking a deep breath to center her rage.  
  
"I hate those assholes as much as you Rhodey, but the world needs some form of defence!" She said measuredly to the hologram, ice blue eyes alight with worry.  
  
Rhodey grinned at Pepper's spirit before a waving a hand to stop her.  
  
"We know that and, assuming Tones actually wakes back up and is still as slightly sane as before, we were thinking of maybe starting a new team," He spoke in rush, excited for the first time in days, "A team that's got the Accords at heart in the first instance, no chance of disagreement. A team that's got proper rank, accountability - and most of all, no personal agendas."  
  
"Huh." Was Pepper's eloquent reply.  
  
"The great Pepper Potts speechless?" Rhodey teased.  
  
Just then there was a knock at the door.  
  
"I - Listen that sounds unbelievably brilliant but I'm going to have to call you back, the first guy is here - they say he's a sorcerer." Pepper snorted, momentarily amused, "Then I'm meeting with Miss Van Dyne in a few hours. We'll talk soon and get everything straightened out before I try and take it to the Accords council."   
  
"Yes ma'am." Rhodey mockingly saluted before disconnecting, leaving Pepper to sort herself out.  
  
She slipped her heels back on and walked over to the door, opening it to reveal a rather odd-looking man.  
  
The man was tall, even taller than Pepper who was no dwarf, and appeared to be somewhere in his mid-forties. He had salt and pepper hair and a small amount of finely groomed facial hair - _Oh god not another one._  
  
What was odd about him was his outfit - he was wearing blue robes that looked like they could either be pajamas or stolen from a dojo, Pepper couldn't really tell. To finish off the look was a ruby red cape that seemed to sway in a non-existant breeze, and a large eye-shaped amulet around his neck.  
  
"Miss Potts, my name is Doctor Stephen Strange." The man smiled charmingly, holding out a hand to shake.  
  
_That's it,_ Pepper decided, _I'm getting far too old for this._  


* * *

  
Happy Hogan was ridiculously tired, but pleased. Twenty prospects later and he had finally found the perfect addition to the compound.  
  
Jessica Jones was a tiny raven-haired woman with a large bitter streak and an even larger drinking problem. She also happened to be a metahuman, with strength far superior to anything Happy had ever seen. Jessica was a PI by trade, but in the age of superheroes and sprawling evil corporations it was a dying business.  
  
When Happy had asked why she'd wanted to work at the compound in the first place, Jessica had simply rolled her eyes and bitingly replied:  
  
"These days you're either with the superheroes or against them, might as well put the muscles to good use."  
  
All in all, Happy was - well _happy_ with his choice. Friday had completed a background check in record time and now Happy was driving Jessica to the compound, two small bags of belongings in tow.  
  
"You sure you don't want anything else?" He asked, nodding to the bags as he drove.  
  
"When your door doesn't even lock, it's kinda hard to keep all that many possessions." Jessica spoke softly now, eyes on the passing landscape.  
  
Happy huffed awkwardly and let the conversation drop.   
  
The drive from Jessica's old apartment to the compound was short, and soon the large group of buildings Happy had started to call home loomed on the horizon.  
  
"Welcome to the compound." Happy told Jessica proudly.  
  
Jessica took in the sleek glass and steel buildings in front of her as the car drew closer. She had expected them to look impersonal, but instead found touches of warmth accepting the place. Huh, maybe not so bad then.  
  
"Welcome back Mr Hogan, nice to meet you Miss Jones." Friday's voice blared through the car speakers, connecting once they had reached the compound perimeters.   
  
"What the fuck was that?" Jessica shouted, rocketing forward in her seat.  
  
"Jessica meet Friday, Artificial Intelligence and overseer of both the compound and Mr Stark. She is essentially Mr Stark's daughter, and can either make or break your time with us. Treat her nice and you'll be just fine." Happy introduced, quite amused by the reaction.  
  
How people treated JARVIS and later Friday told Happy all he needed to know about people. Rhodey and Pepper treated the Als like another member of the family, and this kept them firmly secured in his good books.  
  
The Avengers were another story.   
  
Barton had earned Happy's ire first, treating the Als like glorified servants and speaking rudely to them whenever he had to interact. It mirrored how he often chose to speak to Tony, for which Happy would never forgive.   
  
Both Thor and Rogers had been given the benefit of the doubt to start with, both men far away from what they considered 'normal'. Thor had deserved that chance, treating the Als as the disembodied children of Tony (something he continued with Vision). Rogers however, even before the so-called Civil War, was firmly in Happy's bad books. Rogers treated the Als as condisendingly as he did everyone else, talking down to or downright ignoring them.   
  
Banner and Romanoff had been a different story, both reacting to the Als with stiff politeness but both warming up considerably in their time with them.   
  
"Huh, okay I guess. Nice to meet you too Friday." Jessica murmered, settling into uncomfortable silence. She didn't like the idea of someone constantly watching her, but she needed money more than privacy.  
  
As they pulled up towards the main building and Happy prepared to open up the side entrance to the underground parking lot, Jessica noticed someone arguing with the front door. _Dear God what have I gotten myself into._  
  
"Uh who's that?" Jessica asked the distracted Happy, who looked up and immediately frowned.  
  
"Time for some on the job training Jones." Happy said, unclipping his seatbelt and getting out of the SUV.   
  
Jessica followed him warily and sized up the other person. She was a short woman, around the same size as Jessica herself, with chin-length blonde hair and a downcast look on her face. Counting quickly, Jessica saw at least four weapons on her person.  
  
"You are no longer cleared for access here Miss Romanoff, I suggest you leave before I call the authorities." Happy called, silently tapping his wristwatch to alert Rhodey.  
  
Natasha looked incredibly hurt for a moment, before bitter understanding took over her face.  
  
"I know no one wants to see me but please, just give me a chance to explain myself...I never wanted to hurt Tony and if I can just explain to hi-" Natasha was cut off by Jessica's right hook, unable to counter the excess strength.  
  
Jessica heaved the unconscious woman up over her shoulder and turned back to Happy.  
  
"So where to Boss?"   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Tony wakes up, Natasha begs, and Pepper tries to put a team together.


	5. 'I miss you' is a dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break guys!! Had a super hectic week but I'm making up for it with an extra long chapter for you!
> 
> So some people have asked me if Team Cap will be shown in this story and yes! They will have a big-ish part in this story in varying degrees. We'll see them for the first time in a few chapters. Angst is good for you and all :D
> 
> This chapter introduces two new characters, one Miss Hope Van Dyne and a very small OC named HELEN. Hope will be seen again but HELEN is just a cameo.
> 
> On another note is anyone else interested in a Tony/Hope pairing? I have a plot bunny for them stuck in my head that I'm thinking of writing out.
> 
> Chapter warnings: None

Rhodey rubbed his fingers against his temple, tension building to an aching crescendo.   
  
They had been waiting for Tony to wake up for two days now. Dr Flores had set up a drip to keep him hydrated but as long as his vitals didn't take a dip, she believed he would wake up in his own time.  
  
It was Rhodey's turn to sit with him, talking about everything and nothing to fill the silence.  
  
"Those new braces you designed are shaping up great, me and Friday have been working at them the last couple days, I think we can do a test walk pretty soon," Rhodey cleared his throat awkwardly, "You better have woken up by then or there's gonna be trouble Tones."  
  
Rhodey swallowed back the lump in his throat, refusing to give in to the worry. His brother would wake up, and everything would be okay. It had to.   
  
He told Tony about the work Pepper was doing, how she met with Miss Van Dyne and an actual magician by the name of Strange. He told Tony about Vision starting to smile again, finding easy conversations with Maria Hill and surprisingly, Happy. Then he just had to tell Tony about the new girl, some Jessica Jones, that Happy was bringing to the compound later today. If her file was anything to go by, she and Tony would get on like a house on fire.   
  
Rhodey wracked his brain for the next thing to say, desperate to keep talking, unable to bear the charged silence.   
  
Silence that was becoming too charged.   
  
The hair on Rhodey's arms stood on end, the room stifling yet cold. Tremors started across his whole body, feeling suddenly electrified.   
  
Just as it was becoming unbearable, Friday announced a change in Tony's vitals. His heart rate sped up astronomically, becoming faster and faster.  
  
Tony's eyes fluttered carefully and he let out a long yawn.   
  
The electricity in the room evaporated and Rhodey slumped back in relief. Tony brought a hand to his face and started rubbing at his eyes, still unaware of the world.  
  
"Good morning sleeping beauty." Rhodey said sardonically, though the effect was ruined by the overwhelming worry in his voice.  
  
"G'd morning platypus." Tony mumbled, wondering what the hell had happened.  
  
He remembered the serum injections, the unbearable heat, and the convulsions that overtook his body. Then all had faded to black and bright starry spots began to swim in his line of vision.   
  
Tony took a quick assessment of his body; his arm moved easily and the consistent dull pain had gone. His nose and for that matter most of his face felt completely normal, no longer tender and sore. Most importantly his chest, once full of constant stabbing suffering, now felt amazing.  
  
For the first time in years, Tony could breathe normally.   
  
He stretched out and sat up, bones crackling as he moved for the first time in days.   
  
"Friday alert the others please. How'd you feel Tones?" Rhodey asked, leaning forward intently.  
  
"Good, brilliant even. Just... different I guess." Tony replied.  
  
It was true, he felt better than he had in years, the alcohol and drugs of his youth taking a toll on his body long before Afghanistan, but there was something different about him too. Tony could feel the trembling of each nerve in his body, the intense electricity passing through his synapses.  
  
Tony could taste it too. The charged particles in the air, circles and fields of static swirling around him. It was an almost heady feeling, but one that he welcomed in exchange for the chronic pain he used to feel.  
  
"Mr Vision and Agent Hill are on route now but Dr Flores is currently attending to an injury in Beta Security, Colonel Rhodes."   
  
Tony felt the usual swell of affection for his young Al, musical accent giving life to his daughter.  
  
"What happened after I passed out?" Tony asked Rhodey, uncharacteristically serious.  
  
"Seems you pulled a Thor. Friday lost power and the whole building was out. You lit up like a Christmas tree then went out for the count." Rhodey spoke nonchalantly, pushing down his worry.  
  
"...huh." For once, Tony Stark was speechless.   
  
"Colonel Rhodes, there is an unknown vehicle incoming." Friday interrupted, frantically scanning her databases for the car.  
  
"Friday bring up visual." Tony ordered, leaning up and pulling out some plain sweatpants and a vest from the draws next to him in the medical bay.  
  
Friday flashed up the image of the compound's front entrance, a black sedan with tinted windows pulling up to the door.   
  
A woman got out the back of the car, blonde hair shielding her face from the cameras. She leaned into the driver's window and searched her pockets for a moment, before something handing over. The driver pulled away and the woman turned to face the door.  
  
Tony noticed she only had a small rucksack on her, and very nondescript clothes - no uniform. He ventured a look up at her face and felt the the world come crashing down around him.  
  
Natasha Romanoff. Natalie Rushman. Natashalie. Nat. Black Widow. Avenger.   
  
Traitor.  
  
Tony inhaled a sharp breath and fell back against the bed, hand reaching up to swipe away the image.  
  
"Friday keep her out, I don't want her stepping foot in this compound."   
  
Rhodey looked at him questioningly. He knew what she had done at the airport, but he and Tony had talked about it and agreed she was compromised when it came to both Rogers and Barton - they shouldn't have taken her to the fight in the first place.   
  
Tony had forgiven Nat for her actions, even if she hadn't been there to receive it. But now something seemed to have changed.  
  
"Friday pull the visual back up please, audio too." Rhodey commanded.  
  
The video showed Natasha arguing with Friday at the door, Friday giving her a very good attempt at the silent treatment.  
  
Tony's mind was racing. He couldn't see her again, he just couldn't. She knew. She had to know. How could she keep it from him?  
  
"Mr Hogan and Miss Jones are approaching the building." Friday informed them, and they watched Happy's SUV pull up a few feet away.  
  
"Jones?" Tony raised a brow. Exactly how long had he been out for?  
  
"Jessica Jones, PI and enhanced individual. New blood. Happy wanted some extra security around the main building." Rhodey explained absently, concentrated on the screen.  
  
They watched as Happy got out of the car followed by a petite black-haired woman in a leather jacket. Happy talked to Natasha for a moment, an ample distraction as Natasha's distress seemed to cloud her vision, not noticing Jessica creep around Happy and towards Natasha from the side.  
  
They watched as Jessica landed one powerful blow against Natasha's temple, knocking her out clean. Jessica then hoisted the other woman over her shoulder and turned back to Happy, who was looking slightly dumbfounded.  
  
"Friday have Hap bring Nat to the medical bay. She's gonna need that head seeing to." The defeat in Tony's voice was palpable.  
  
"Hold up, first imma need you to tell me what's going on here shortstack. I thought we'd decided to forgive Romanoff." Rhodey ordered the shorter man, sensing his distress and not liking it one bit.  
  
Tony was brought up short, in his grief he'd actually forgotten anyone else was in the room.   
  
Now was the time to choose, did he tell the man he considered the brother the truth? It's not even a question really.  
  
"I was going to wait until Pep was back to tell you what happened in the bunker, but I've kinda been brought up short here." Tony paused, breathing slowly.  
  
"You went in to collect Rogers and Barnes, who were there for the other Winter soldiers, the fight took a turn, and you're lucky to be alive. Nothing else matters Tones, I'm not gonna judge." Rhodey said awkwardly, trying to offer some form of comfort.  
  
"Zemo had killed the Winter Soldiers before we'd even got there, they were just bait. He'd obviously got his hands on some of the SHIELD files before SI cleaned up, started playing this video dated 16th of December, 1991."   
  
Tony stopped talking as Vision phased into the room, almost grateful for the opportunity to leave the conversation.  
  
Rhodey clamped a hand around Tony's arm and pulled him back, needing to know the rest. He knew the date well enough, everyone around SI did.   
  
Tony looked at Rhodey for a moment, silent.  
  
"It wasn't an accident, it was Barnes. Rogers knew, and if he knew, then so did she."   
  
Rhodey let go of Tony's arm as if burnt by the contact. He was beyond shocked and as he processed the information, enraged. Rogers was a dead man. Romanoff would be lucky to not receive the same treatment.  
  
Vision walked towards the pair at a sedate pace, smiling benevolently at Tony's obvious physical improvement.  
  
"You look much better already, I trust Friday is taking your vitals?" Vision complimented then asked towards the ceiling, as they all did even though Friday had sensors all around.  
  
"I feel great! Better than!" Tony forced a cheerful smile onto his face, but could still feel his eyes burning.  
  
"Agent Hill has gone to retrieve the Doctor, I believe she still struggles to let Friday do the work for her." Vision said amusedly as he efficiently read over Friday's constant stream of notes from the last few days.  
  
"Romanoff incoming." Friday announced, slight petulance in her robotic voice.  
  
Vision looked up in surprise but did not have time to say anything before Happy pushed open the door and held it for a not-even-sweating Jessica, carrying Natasha over one shoulder fireman-style.   
  
Jessica walked over to the nearest bed and dumped the unconscious woman down rather ungracefully. With a stretch, Jessica then moved back over to lean against the wall behind Happy.   
  
Tony felt closing pressure on every side of his skull as he looked over at Natasha's angelic face. The face of the woman he had at one time considered a close friend.   
  
He blinked when Rhodey gave him a sharp poke in the leg, a surprisingly soft look on the military man's face. With a sigh he trained his eyes away from Natasha and waited for Hill and Dr Flores.

* * *

  
Natasha opened her eyes wearily, intense headache causing black spots in her vision. Whoever hit her sure had one hell of a punch.   
  
She shook away what pain she could and slowly sat up. Natasha recognised the crisp white linen beneath her as the med bay beds, and surmised that at least they didn't just leave her on the doorstep.  
  
"You got some explaining to do Agent." The deep baritone of Nick Fury appeared beside her.  
  
Natasha looked at him and shuddered. Nick Fury had been a mentor and more to her. She wondered if this was how young children felt when their parents told them off.  
  
"They weren't going to stop and everyone was taking hits, I made the decision to let them go and I'll take the punishment for it." Natasha told the man solemnly.  
  
Silence.  
  
"--- No not the airport, Jesus you've somehow already been forgiven for that one. Luckily for you I might add, if Stark had a harder heart then the Accords Council would be up your ass right now." Nick paused, letting out an angry breath.   
"No, I want to know what the hell it is that Rogers was keeping from Stark. I know there was something, that brawl in the bunker was way too personal to be about just apprehending Barnes."   
  
Natasha was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer. She had combed her contacts after Germany, squirrelling away any information she could about her family's whereabouts. Natasha had heard a vague account of what happened in Siberia, but had no idea what started the fight.  
  
"I really don't know Nick. Stark and Rogers were never best friends, but there was never anything personal between them." Natasha answered honestly, hoping Nick would see the truth in her eyes.  
  
"If I may be of assistance," Friday interjected, "I believe Mr Fury is referring to the matter of Boss's parents, and how both you and Mr Rogers kept the truth of their deaths from him."  
  
Friday was nervous about revealing such information, but one look at her father's distress and she was ready for war.  
  
"I...I thought he knew!" Natasha stuttered, truly at a loss now.  
  
Steve had promised her that he would tell Tony the truth if he didn't already know, and she'd had no reason not to believe him. In fact, they had both (she thought) made the assumption that since Stark Industries had been so involved in cleaning up the SHIELD data dump, that he would've known already.  
  
Oh god, what have I done.  


* * *

  
"You think she's telling the truth?" Tony asked Rhodey, from where he was perched on a stool in his lab.  
  
Dr Flores had given him hesitant permission to be up and about, but Hill was much more enthusiastic. She was under the belief that his new durability and power should be tested thoroughly.  
  
Rhodey wheeled around to face the video once more, looking at Natasha critically.  
  
"I really don't know here Tones. I've always liked Romanoff, but she's a spy before anything else, and spies make a career out of lying."   
  
Tony tried not to pout, wanting desperately to believe that Natasha was telling the truth, that she hadn't betrayed him so completely.  
  
He gave himself a moment of grief before forcing some cheer into his expression. He swiped the video away and turned to Rhodey.  
  
"So I'm thinking the braces are working, but could definitely use an upgrade." Tony began, scrambling to find his notes in the many piles around the lab and ignoring Rhodey's protests.

* * *

It had been two days. 

  
Two days Natasha had been kept in the medical bay under false pretences of further observation. She was beginning to go stir crazy.  
  
Nick had visited her once more after the first time, this time only chatting about non-important things and giving Natasha some much needed human contact. Apart from that, she had only seen a rather irate-looking Dr Flores.   
  
Truly in the dog house huh.  
  
It was around 3 o'clock in the afternoon that she was finally given permission to leave the medical bay, and was hastily shuffled out by a nurse. Natasha moped around the corridor outside the medical bay for a few minutes, wondering where to go now.  
  
"Boss wishes to speak with you Miss Romanoff, he's waiting in the kitchen. I'd suggest you be quick, you won't have long until Colonel Rhodes returns from the city." Friday interrupted her wallowing, voice distinctly unimpressed.  
  
Natasha found herself filled with hope. She started towards the kitchen with purpose, navigating the winding corridors of her former home with practised ease. In the back of her mind she wondered why Rhodes needed to be away, but filed under the things she'd rather not face just yet.  
  
Natasha made it to the main communal kitchen in record time, but faltered at the door.   
  
What if he hates me? He has every right to I know. О Боже I just want my family back.  
  
It never occurred to her that when she thought of family, she never included much of the so-called Team Cap. No, when Natasha thought of family it was the glowing blue of Tony's arc reactor, the flaming golden hair of her best friend and love, the eye-patched man she considered a father. Even Bruce's timid respect and Thor's rambunctious laughter, all those times sparring with Hill and Clint (though even Clint was firmly tucked under a different emotion right now).   
  
She'd even started to grow closer to Vision and Rhodey, the comradery of the battlefield bonding them. And she couldn't forget Spiderman, the boy Tony had joked was her spider-child.   
  
No, Natasha had a family, and Rogers had only proved who that was. Now she just had to make it up to them.  
  
She hesitantly pushed through the kitchen door, spying Tony with his back turned. She watched as he made two cups of coffee, his usual black and the cream with vanilla syrup Natasha favoured. It pierced her heart that even when betrayed, he still accommodated for her.  
  
"Hi Tony." Natasha spoke quietly, so as not to startle him.  
  
Tony visibly sighed and turned around, a small but pained smile on his face. He silently handed her the cup he'd prepared, and sat down at the kitchen counter.   
  
"Hey Natasha."   
  
If possible, the use of her full name pained her even more. It had taken time for the two to become close, but after her stint as Tony's assistant and their continued association as avengers, they had become almost siblings.  
  
Not anymore it seemed.  
  
"I came back to the compound to explain myself. I just want you to know how sorry I am for what happened at the airport, it was a lapse in judgement," she took a deep breath, "And what happened in the bunker, I never would've kept the truth from you if I had known you didn't know."  
  
It was true as well, Natasha may be cold (even heartless if the rumours around SHIELD and beyond were anything to go by), but she would've told him as soon as she found out if it weren't for Steve.  
  
Tony stared at her, brown eyes staring deep into her soul, but stayed silent.  
  
"I honestly thought you would've known already, with SI containing the SHIELD data dump - I'm sorry about that too by the way - and Ste...Rogers promised that he would tell you if you didnt. He thought it would be better coming from him." Natasha finished lamely.  
  
It was only with years of practice she kept the tears from welling up, swallowing down the lump in her throat and trying again.  
  
"Please, just tell me how to make it up to you."  
  
Tony regarded he silently still. He sipped at his coffee, the caffeine rush for once not numbing the turmoil in his gut.  
  
"I don't really know if there is a way to repair this Nat, but I believe you thought Rogers would do the right thing. We'll see how it goes I guess. Watch out for Rhodey and Hap thoygh, they're out for blood at the moment."  
  
It hadn't been long after talking to Rhodey that Tony was pulled into a conference call with Pepper and Happy, both demanding the truth. It spilled from him in whispers, and they had been suitably enraged on his behalf.  
  
"Thank you Tony. I really want to make this right, I see where my family is now." Natasha reached across the kitchen counter and laid a hand on his arm.  
  
"Well there is one thing you can do to start with actually - we're having a press conference; me, Rhodey, and Vision. The Avengers have reached their end, and we're thinking the earth needs some new blood to defend it." Tony paused and looked at her intently, emotion pouring from him in invisible sparks.  
  
Natasha felt the slight shocks up her arm, but assumed it was her own nerves.  
  
"You'll have a place on the new team too - if you want it?" Tony finished, questioning her as he finished his coffee.  
  
Natasha leaned back, for the first time in days a true smile gracing her face.  


* * *

  
Hope Van Dyne was a busy woman by trade, and a busier woman by vigilante hobby. Two meetings with stockholders and a rather irate call from her father wanting an update on Scott's whereabouts later, she was already bone tired.  
  
Hope had been holding off her father for some time now - insisting that Scott must have been either coerced or manipulated in some way.  
  
If only he knew what a true idiot his chosen protege was.  
  
Hope missed Scott dearly, but the love in her heart was quickly turning to ice - especially after the visit from the CEO of Stark Industries. Virginia 'Pepper' Potts had the pleasure of being one of few people who downright terrified Hope in the business world - and now she had decided to join the superheroes.  
  
Their first meeting had been tense, Pepper unsure of Hope's loyalties and Hope distrustful of any cohorts of a Stark, but the tension evaporated quickly. They quickly bonded over their shared experiences as the only women helming two large companies, as well as their odd attraction to absolute idiots with no sense of self-preservation.  
  
Pepper had done the smart thing and downgraded to friendship, Hope wasn't sure she was ready to do the same thing.  
  
And now came their second meeting, this time also including a supposed sorcerer by the name of Stephen Strange. Hope had already met him a few times, and while she wasn't sure about the whole magic thing, she could appreciate his dry wit.  
  
Hope walked quickly towards Pepper's suite in the upmarket-but-nondescript hotel the Accords Council had suggested they use. She was happy she'd had the forethought to change into some ballet flats, the idea of heels pinching at her toes while stuck in another meeting made her shudder.  
  
Ten minutes later Hope had been welcomed and seated in the lounge area, a steaming cup of green tea set in front of her. She greeted Dr Strange politely from her seat adjacent to him and waited for Pepper to begin.  
  
Pepper paced the kitchenette anxiously, mind going over her carefully prepared words one last time. It all came down to this, if they couldn't get some new blood on their side, there wouldn't be a team.  
  
Iron man, War Machine, and Vision were good could keep most of the world safe, but they needed more manpower.  
  
Pepper steeled herself and clipped her hair back into her signature take-no-shit ponytail. She grabbed her own mug of coffee - black the way her boys liked it - and went to take a seat opposite the two heroes.  
  
"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here today," she began, trying to in still confidence in her soft voice. "So I'll get straight to the point. The Avengers as they were are dead. Iron Man will be taking the helm to nurture a new team from the ashes and we'd like you to be a part of it."  
  
She watched as both turned complative. Hope's eyes became calculating and Pepper was not surprised that she was the first to begin questioning.  
  
"Why are the avengers breaking apart? The world needs protection." Hope asked matter-of-factly, no emotion showing on her face.  
  
A perfect poker face, Pepper thought slightly admiringly.  
  
"The so-called Civil War, as I'm sure you've both seen in the media, created an impossible rift between Iron Man and Captain America - not forgetting of course that the Captain, Falcon, Miss Maximoff, Agent Barton and Antman are all MIA and wanted for irreparable property damage and countless injuries." Pepper began to get angry as she talked, Rogers' all-american looks marred by hate filling her vision for a few seconds.  
  
She breathed slowly and tried to get herself together. You've got an audience Virginia, no funny business.  
  
"It has been widely agreed that what the public has named Team Iron Man and Team Cap would be unable to cooperate on the field, and would most likely even be a danger to one another." Pepper changed tactics, and tried not to think about the fact it was all one team causing the problems.  
  
Hope took in Pepper's answers silently, eyes full of stormy trouble.   
  
Stephen leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees. His eyes flickered around alarmingly for a moment and faint green mist started smoking around him. Pepper just tried not to stare. Never thought anyone could beat Visions oddness.  
  
"Tony Stark is one of the biggest powers of this world and if he wishes to aid in protecting it, the sorcerers of Kamar Taj will oblige." He said, finally relaxing back into a human position, mist evaporating.  
  
Pepper hummed happily and Hope just stared.   
  
Hope knew her father would kill her if she partnered up with Stark. But the safety of the world was more important. She just wondered if she could perhaps five her father Pepper's number and see how quickly he changed his mind.  
  
"The Wasp will be more than happy to join on a new venture. When - and I sincerely mean when - Pym Technologies recovers the Ant Man suit, whoever is chosen to pilot it will also agree the Accords terms." Hope vowed, the adrenaline of disobeying her father fueling her as much as the logic.  
  
Pepper clapped her hands together and grinned.  
  
"HELEN please can you schedule a meeting with the Accords council and let Rhodey know." Pepper commanded to seemingly thin air.  
  
"Of course ma'am." A high pitched female Texan accent appeared from nowhere in particular. 

Pepper's AI had been a gift from Tony for their anniversary when they were together. HELEN was both the companion and secretary Pepper hadn't realised she dearly needed.  
  
As both other occupants of the room jumped, Pepper tried not to smirk. It would be fun to watch them get used to the compound.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Tony meets a magician and an insect, plus the press conference.


	6. Roll up, roll up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! I hope it's not too obvious how completely in love with Natasha I am but oh well :D
> 
> Just a quick note, Peter Parker joins the party at the end of this chapter but you'll notice he's only referred to as Spiderman. I've done this to differentiate between Peter and when he's suited up, given his identity is unknown to most.
> 
> And yes, to answer the most common question, next chapter we'll finally be taking a look at Dumbass Rogers and his team.
> 
> Any comments are always appreciated.
> 
> There's also a little brooklyn99 reference in this chapter, for anyone that spots it.

Tony groaned and lifted himself from the floor again. Maria had lost her poker face hours ago and was now trying to contain full belly-aching laughter.  
  
They had been testing Tony's new powers for the last few days now, trying to determine the extent of the electrical manipulation and Tony's control over it. So far Tony had managed to produce several sparks and zaps of energy from his palms, but they continuously sent him flying backwards with the sheer power.   
  
Maria thought with enough practice Tony might be able to exhibit full cyberkinesis, but controlling the strength and direction of the electricity was becoming a real problem.  
  
"Try again, this time try and put less power into it." Maria instructed, offering Tony a hand to help him up.  
  
Tony sighed and braced himself, feet rooted firmly shoulder-width apart. He raised his hands and aimed towards the dummy they had set up at the opposite end of the training room. He consciously pushed all the heat he could into his palms and envisioned bright crackling light erupting.  
  
 _Bang!_  
  
"I think that's 4-nil to the floor!" Rhodey called from his place on the set of benches at the side of the room, cackling with glee.  
  
It had become practice for occupants to come and watch Tony fall flat on his ass whenever they had free time. Today it was Rhodey, Jessica (His now ever-present shadow when Happy was unavailable), and Nick.  
  
Both Jessica and Rhodey swapped more jokes with each other at Tony's expense while he simply lay spread-eagle on the cushioned mat.   
  
"I think I'm done for today." Tony groaned, rubbing at the spot on his head he'd knocked.   
  
Maria nodded in agreement and helped him up once more, dusting him off before stepping back and writing on her holographic clipboard.  
  
All three onlookers came over from their seats on Tony's announcement and reassured him he was doing fine - Jessica was especially helpful, telling him about how difficult it first was for her to develop her powers.  
  
Jessica Jones had been an interesting addition to their little family at the compound. She was extremely bitter, wary, and kind of an asshole, but that was nothing unusual for the compound. She had already grown almost close with Natasha, both untrusting and respecting of each other in equal measure. Jessica had also become a favourite of Tony's, matching his sarcasm with even sharper words.  
  
She patted him on the arm commiseratingly, and left with Rhodey. Nick waited for the two to be gone before saying a single word.  
  
"You need more instruction than Maria can give you - you need someone with similar or at least as powerful gifts. I might know someone." He spoke in short sentences, and did not give Tony chance to reply before dramatically twirling his coat and leaving.   
  
Tony shared an amused look with Maria and left with a shrug, heading towards the showers.  
  
Pepper would kill him if he didn't freshen up before the afternoon.  
  


* * *

 

  
Tony readied his game face and let Natasha readjust his cartoonish red and gold tie for the fifth time. She was as nervous as the rest of them it seemed.  
  
Pepper had been unable to leave negotiations with the Accords council for the conference - several countries representatives were demanding strict regulations for a new team. At least most were happy with the arrangement, a change for Tony who was far too used to politicians. It seemed having a team of heroes strictly adhering to the Accords was seen as a big win for the public.  
  
They - Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Natasha -were all dressed smartly for the conference, trying to present a united front even though they were densely fractured. Rhodey still had his misgivings about Natasha, and it seemed she reminded Vision too much of the woman he had all but fallen in love with. It was a tense few days to say the least.  
  
Tony as usual was wearing a casual suit, coal black with matching shirt and a cheaply made iron man merchandise tie. Rhodey was in full military uniform, and had foregone his usual wheelchair for the cutting edge braces he was still getting used to (he and Tony had had a fraught talk about weakness and how it was exactly the opposite of Rhodey but it had gone in one ear and out the other).Vision simply wore his usual form-fitting body suit, complete with flowing cape.   
  
It was Natasha that drew the most stares as the filtered out onto the stage though. She was intimidatingly dressed in her trademark flexible catsuit, threatening knife strapped to her leg and blue glowing at her wrists. The look was finished off with her 'formal' leather jacket (which she joked was just the one without any blood on it).  
  
The reporters were like vultures, each cawing at the chance to ask questions before their statement had even been made.   
  
Happy took over Pepper's usual job of journalist-tamer, threatening removal of jobs, limbs and god knows what else if they stepped a toe out of line.  
  
"Back again then guys?" Tony spoke into the microphone at his seat once he'd made himself comfortable, "pretty sure I'm keeping you in business!"  
  
There was polite laughter here and there as the crowd settled into almost-silence. In the blue-carpeted room, Tony was aptly reminded of sharks swarming in a tank.  
  
He placed his elbows on the table casually, and steadied himself.  
  
"So I'll make the big announcement quick for you; the Avengers are dead in the water, in its place I'd like to introduce you to the world's new, Accords-based team, The New Avengers."  
  
Three pictures projected above the four on the stage and instant uproar erupted across the room like wildfire.   
  
The wasp, Stephen Strange, and Spiderman. Three of the world's new brave heroes. Both Dr Strange and Hope Van Dyne were named as per Accords regulations, but Spiderman fell under different rules as a minor.  
  
Tony had fielded Peter's calls for days before accepting him onto the team, and he was still unsure. As a minor, the Accords council couldn't demand his identity (whoever came up with that rule obviously wasn't paying attention Tony thought privately), but they did put extreme precautions over what Spiderman could be called put for - to put it simply, only threat of world domination.  
  
This was all neatly explained in the virtual handouts released to the press and public at the start of the conference. Tony was more than ready to take the lashing for taking Peter to Germany - he knew this one he deserved.  
  
But the reporters in front of him couldn't care less about that, they wanted drama plain and simple.  
  
 _"Mr Stark why have you fired the now-dubbed 'Team Cap' ?"_  
  
 _"Stark is it true that your rivalry with Miss Maximoff is the reason for the split? What about the rumours that your weapons killed her parents?"_  
  
 _"Black widow, why should the public trust you after your plain disregard for the thousands put at risk by your data leak?"_  
  
 _"Colonel Rhodes, what do you have to say to claims that your turning your back on your military and your country by submitting to the UN?"_  
  
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Happy bellowed, face red as he pointed several reporters to be taken from the room, "You get one question each, and I swear to god if it's not relevant the taser is coming out!"  
  
So maybe Happy wouldn't be doing this job again, Tony decided.   
  
_How the heck did Pepper do it_?  
  
Order resumed, the first reporter stepped forward. She was a short and rotund brunette wearing a smart pantsuit and a predatory look on her face.  
  
"Why was it decided that the aforementioned Team Iron Man would continue in the Avengers stead, instead of say, the aforementioned Team Cap?"  
  
Tony cleared his throat to speak but was saved the trouble by Rhodey who leaned forward, chin jutting out authoritatively.  
  
"The Avengers have been broken apart by mutual decision. As Steven Rogers, Wanda Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, and Agent Clint Barton are all wanted pending investigation of the incidents occurring in Lagos, Germany, and Siberia, they are unable to legally step forward as heroes and officials at this time."  
  
Rhodey stopped to breathe with forced calm. The reporter's smirk was rapidly dropping and the others were starting to mutter.  
  
"Furthermore, any actions taken by this team," here he gestured to his companions, "have been fully accounted for and in the case of damage, reparations have been made."  
  
Reparations had been more than made, not that Tony didnt know they deserved it. As a not-quite-human altoid, Vision was given more leeway than the rest. Still he volunteered the time most humans spent sleeping in several hospitals and active war areas, serving as an odd form of community service.   
  
Rhodey had been pretty much given the okay as far as the Accords were concerned. He was acting on accords orders and within their rules, and they covered all damages by war machine as unavoidable.  
  
Natasha had caused negligible damage to property but her subsequent letting Barnes go and running away herself landed her with some tense reprimands. After Nick had had his fill, the entirety of the Accords council - 15 voted in country representatives - took a turn. It was the first time Tony had ever seen Natasha close to crying, but the woman took the verbal lashing like a trooper and held her head high. She would prove herself worthy once more, she promised them all.  
  
Tony had the most to pay out in terms of damages, some of his hits landing more on the side of extra force than unavoidable. He knew and accepted this, had known the adrenaline rush pushed him into firing shots that weren't necessary both in Germany and Siberia - not that they had the full story of Siberia. He also received a reprimand, both from the council and one screeching May Parker, about the bringing an obvious minor into foreign territory and situations.   
  
The newly-termed Rogues on the other hand, would be punished once they returned from hiding. Tony privately thought that might not ever happen, but didn't want to ruin everyone's fun.  
  
Next up to the podium came one familiar cool blonde. Tony was almost relieved to see Christina Everheart, she may be biting, but she stayed away from the sensationalism.   
  
"How can the public be assured that Captain Rogers and his team won't be able to harm innocent civilians and the like again? They are all very obviously enhanced which to the average person, to be frank, is terrifying."  
  
Tony almost smiled. The question was difficult to be sure, but it was the type of question Pepper would've approved of.  
  
"We are all dedicated to protecting the world, that is the entire premise of the New Avengers. Whether we are facing threat from outside or in, we will do our best to ensure the average person is never put in the position of threat from enhances beings."  
  
Christine nodded, face serious. She stepped back down to her spot in the crowd, notebook snapping shut.   
  
This was going to be a long day.  
  


* * *

  
Two tremendously boring hours later, and the conference was finally over.   
  
They were all bone-tired, and even the impenetrable Natasha had lost some of her composure. They piled into the car with Happy at the wheel and started the short drive back to the compound.  
  
They had one more thing to do today. Meet the newbies.  
  
While Spiderman was excluded for obvious reasons, none of them had met Dr Strange and only Tony had met Hope before.   
  
Once back at the compound they all took ten to shower and change into some more comfortable clothes before meeting in the West wing common area.  
  
Tony greeted the already sat down Hope politely, neither particularly keen on the other after years of rivalry. As she introduced herself to the others, Tony took the time to scan the room for their other new team member.  
  
_Oh dear_.  
  
He could feel Pepper laughing at him from halfway across the world. Before him was possibly one of the most chiseled men he'd ever seen - and he looked in a mirror every morning.   
  
Sparkling blue eyes, high noble cheekbones and around five inches taller than Tony. He was Tony's perfect type, and if the way Rhodey was giving him the side-eye was any indication, he'd spotted it too.  
  
If he wasn't so busy ogling he would've noticed the warm smile and greeting uttered in his direction. Too bad he was preoccupied trying to emulate the heart-eyes emoji.  
  
To reiterate, _oh dear_.

 

* * *

  
  
"Mr Pool! Hey Mr Pool! Wait up!" Spiderman called frantically, swinging from building to building following the red suited man.  
  
'Mr Pool' did not even glance in the kids direction, leaping from roof to roof as he tried to shoot three different men at once, left hand hanging limply at his side.  
  
Spiderman let out a grunt of frustration and shot webbing directly at one of the men, deftly swinging towards him and avoiding the onslaught of bullets. With practiced precision he webbed up the other two men, the third knocked unconscious by the hurtling boy.   
  
By the time the red-clad man reached the rooftop, all three were out for the count. He slammed his gun to the ground and pointed an angry finger at Spiderman.  
  
"Oh for fuck- COME ON! I almost had them asshole!!" He bellowed, angrily hopping from foot to foot.  
  
"Why the fuck do you keep following me Charlotte's web? Thought I made it clear I only worked with angsty teens, not chipper ones!" He continued, well and truly ranting while Spiderman rolled his eyes and waited for him to stop.  
  
"I have a message from Iron Man - you know, Tony Stark? Avenger, hero and all around amazing dude." Spiderman's interruption quickly became adoration and the other man could only roll his eyes.  
  
"Keep the daddy issues for primetime Spidey and get to the point."   
  
"Well uh, Mr Pool, Iron Man requests your presence at the New Avengers compound facility to, uh, talk about something?" Spiderman sounded unsure at the end, hand coming up to scratch the back of his masked head.  
  
Deadpool rolled his eyes, the move looking extremely exaggerated by his all-red mask, and nodded.  
  
'Gotcha, go to the super secret Avengers facility and talk about some super secret stuff, sounds like my kinda fun."  
  
With that he pushed himself backwards, tumbling over the side of the building with a joyful shout.  
  
Spiderman just groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Tony and Stephen have a little flirt, and we take a visit to Wakanda for the press conference.


	7. Revenge is best served red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So omg it has been a while since over posted. I'm super sorry about that but this chapter Mark's the return to regular scheduling.
> 
> So in the lil hiatus I took, the plans for this story became much bigger and I cant wait for you guys to see the directions it takes.
> 
> You might notice the new characters and pairings, a decision I hope ya'll will approve of, if not uh.... oh well I guess.
> 
> This chapter is a different POV but some plot needed to show up at some point.

The luscious emerald flora of Wakanda was truly a sight to behold. The flawless integration of traditional culture and cutting-edge technology was, to put it lightly, a marvel. Even the rolling dry heat, the kind of heat that settled against the skin and created a cocoon of warmth, was beyond brilliance to Wanda Maximoff.

As a young girl their family had never had the money to feed themselves let alone go on anything like a holiday, and when her parents died she would rather concentrate her efforts towards revenge. Hydra offered many chances to see the world, but even with her brother it was hard to enjoy the sights when they had clear missions to attend to.

That was Pietro's strength she supposed, his deadly calm balanced her single-minded potent rage. He saved scraps and coins for a future beyond the death of Stark, and it had been a damn shame he never got to see it.

More reason to hate HIM.

Wanda was more than pleased with how things had turned out. Her newfound family - protective Steve, funny Sam, even a reserved Bucky, and especially her personal saviour Clint - had finally started to see how bad that violent egomaniac was and were now here, safe with her. 

The world was still trapped in the manipulations of Stark, but her family had seen the light and fought for the safety of the public. She may have had to say goodbye to her Vision and her family may be seen as criminals now, but Wanda was beyond joyous.

Wakanda was the perfect hideaway - a society that thrived on equality and treated her like the hero she was. 

Well, the Dora Milaje and the various workers of the palace glared at them like they were the worst sort of people but T'challa assured them they were just still grieving for their king.

They were given a wing to themselves when they arrived, guards on the door to the central area "for your privacy." Princess Shuri had told them when she showed them to their rooms. Wanda intensely disliked the way every word was barbed and carefully shot. She was intuitive enough to know that Shuri must be under Stark's  
influence.

These first few weeks had been trying for them all, the adrenaline of fighting and escaping the Raft still thrumming in their blood but no release for it. They were all closer than ever, but still sniped and bit at each other. Scott was by far the worst, his tenous bonds to the group already starting to fray without a clear mission acting as glue.

Wanda was released from her thoughts by Sam tapping her on the shoulder.

"Wakey wakey girl, it's time for that media preening session Stark organised." 

Wanda tensed and attempted to stop the upward curl of her lip, incensed as always at the mention of the billionaire.

She heaved herself up off the poolside chair in one the the wing's many gardens, and followed Sam back inside to the dragged together sitting room they had made from a few sofas and a large TV set gifted to them by T'challa.

Steve was already sat down, shoulders impossibly tensed as they had been ever since Bucky went back into the ice - not that Wanda could blame him, Bucky was incredibly dangerous in her opinion. 

She patted him on the shoulder and sat down next to him, a friendly hand resting on his knee. Sam took the seat on the other side of Steve and together they waited for the others, advertisements playing in the background.

Clint wandered in followed by an uneasy-looking Scott, who had that 'nothing to see here' smile on that Wanda detested so much. They each perched themselves on a free chair and as one, the group turned to watch the press conference.

They all watched as their former teammates essentially sold them down the river, lies and twisted truths falling from their mouths.

Wanda was enraged, how dare they besmirch the name of her family and friend like this. She more than expected it from Tony and his pet soldier Rhodes, but Natasha and Vision surprised and hurt her more than she thought possible.

Wanda was only starting to break Natasha's shell when they had to fight, and the possible friendship was one she mourned. It had taken her so long to get the tendrils of her magic to seep through the infentessimally small cracks in the Black Widow's mental walls, to dampen the bitterness Natasha subconsciously felt towards Wanda for choosing wrong that first time... And now all her work was for nothing.

Vision hurt the most, twisted her heart in a way she hadn't felt before. Wanda used to sob for what had happened, but that feeling quickly turned to malice. Vision should have chosen her!

She tentatively reached out with her mind's eye, magic settling over her comrades' bodies as she peeked at their thoughts.

Steve was extremely betrayed, his thoughts tinged a glum cloudy blue. He couldn't believe it, Tony had fallen. Somehow that stung him more than even Natasha's betrayal. Steve had well and truly believed that Tony would come to his senses and realise he was wrong. He couldn't believe what he was hearing - they couldn't disband the Avengers, Steve was their leader, it was his job to make those decisions. This insubordination would be difficult to forgive, but Steve would - if only Tony asked and repented.

Wanda rolled her eyes at the tone Steve's thoughts had taken and moved along to Sam, whose mouth was pinched angrily.

He had only been with the team a little while, but he felt just as hurt as the rest. Sam had never really got a chance to get to know Tony, so he only had Steve's views of the man -and so far this press conference was proving him right. Tony Stark was arrogant, controlling, and completely without morals. Rhodes was a good man, but obviously blinded by Stark, and the guilt of his injury kept Sam from thinking anything else of the man. He appeared to have written off Natasha and Vision as the same, following Stark out of misguided trust.

Scott was even less useful to Wanda. His opinions of his teammates had been slowly twisting into something suspicious for the last few days now, and watching the press release Scott seemed... happy? 

He felt bittersweet pride at seeing that wasp woman's picture, and from what Wanda had gathered they were once an item. He should be angry! Just like her Vision, this Hope came running to Stark's beck-and-call, no care for his wrongdoings. But no, instead Scott was happy for Hope, and fast gaining respect for Stark and his merry troop.

Wanda should have known he'd be the one to turn on them first, his interest in the accords solely based not on justice but an abstract fondness for his childhood hero. She would watch him, Wanda decided, and see if she could sway him back to their side.

Clint was the last person she turned her attention towards, Wanda's personal saviour. He was rightfully vindictive, mourning the time that should be spent with his young children. Wanda felt his sorrow, but knew this was just another day for Stark, the man ripped apart families like it was nothing. 

Overall the press release was difficult to watch, and Wanda steadily ignored the soft red features of her love, unable to bare his betrayel, a thought shared by the whole team. 

They would get their revenge, of this she was sure, and only then could they retake their place as the protectors of the world.


	8. The prince and the pauper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have two new players on the field and ones given me a rather interesting pairing idea, so let me know what ya'll think.
> 
> As always comments and reviews are very appreciated!

Pepper sighed, an action that was becoming far too much of a habit recently.

Talks with the Council had been going well in terms of the new team, but pressure was building for the rogues to be found. Most wanted them to be punished and appropriately disciplined, but of course there were a few who still thought the sun shined out of the Captain's ass; luckily they were a very small minority.

Pepper didn't have the answers for that unfortunately. Oh, she was sure that tony knew their whereabouts and while she had her suspicions, it was harder to weasel out information from him over the phone. So she decided to focus on the council's other request. One King T'Challa of Wakanda. 

While the Wakandan had been very forthcoming in making reparations and apologies where necessary for the whole civil war, he had remained curiously silent on the topic of Siberia. Tony had been tight lipped himself about the event, and so the council only knew the vague details that had been carefully curated by SI's PR department.

Tony mistakenly chose to bring the rogues in alone. There was an altercation when bringing in Roger's and Barnes, Tony should not have gone alone and recieved more than one verbal lashing for it. Black Panther was there for an unknown reason, and did not intervene when Barnes and Roger's clearly had the upper hand.

Pepper thought even the most dense of council members could make the connection and hazard a guess at the rogoues hiding place. God knows she had.

Pepper had been given the task of meeting with the royal, briefing him on the last amendments to the accords in relation to his black panther identity, and formally requesting his presence in front of the council to discuss (read: get his ass verbally handed to him) his involvement in Siberia. If Pepper had her way it would've been more than words but money talks, and while SI as a company could match the wealth and technology of Wakanda, most countries couldn't. They couldnt afford to lose T'Challa in his role as king nor superhero. 

She blinked her thoughts away and splashed her face with water from the soapy pool she'd created in the bathroom sink. 

With practiced efficiency, Pepper quickly applied her makeup; a flick of kohl across her eyelids, a brush of mascara, and a dab of concealer here and there and she was almost ready to leave. A quick change into the smart but ventilated charcoal pantsuit she'd picked especially, and a smear of red across her lips to hide the the gleaming shark smile underneath, and Pepper was battle-ready.

The Wakandan king had apparently been too busy to make a stop at Pepper's temporary offices in Switzerland, so she would be the one making the journey to the African country. 

A small approved quinjet was waiting on the building's roof. This was definitely going to be interesting.

.............................

Tony and Natasha moved in unison, his feet moving backwards the same time she took a step towards him, a waltz they'd performed more than once. He watched her step and the next time she moved, Tony quickly swung a leg out to sweep her feet off the ground. 

Natasha deftly jumped at the same moment and caught his moving leg with practiced ease, using his own momentum to land him flat on his back.

"You ever gonna try a new move?" Natasha rolled her eyes, and offered Tony a hand up.

The New Avengers had been training together for a few weeks now, all learning more by the minute. This was what the old team had been missing, Tony thought, they were all deadly alone but lacked any sort of co-ordination until it came to life or death. The accords council readily agreed with that and were firm that it could go on no longer.

So they set out some ground rules; each member of the team was required to attend at least one training session per week, and would be put under observation if they missed more than three in a row - excluding extenuating circumstances. The council agreed upon other rules too, ones that made the team better, more accountable, and a true group of individuals entitled to the word hero.

"Every member will be required to undergo both physical and mental evaluations.

Every member will be required to give a full account of any supernatural or engineered abilities to an agreed upon seat of the council.

Every member must pass a law-related skills test, showing understanding of both international and home-country laws, and when it is or is not appropriate to break them in a given circumstance."

Was the main gist given to the press, not mentioning the hundreds of less urgent 'housekeeping' rules. Tony personally thought that the council couldn't have gone better. The rules were strict, but with the level of power each avenger held, they were appropriate. 

This was their twenty-first training session overall, three weeks after the press release. No one attended every training session, but all except Hope were trying to make it to at least three a week. 

FRIDAY had been the one to point out that patterns were starting to form. Tony, Natasha, and Jessica (who was not an official member yet but Tony was bugging her into it) all seemed to favour Tuesdays and Fridays. Unsurprisingly, Stephen and Vision were the only ones there on a Monday or Wednesday. Thursdays Rhodey and Hope dominated the padded room, becoming rather competitive and sending each other flying several times a day. Saturdays was the only day they all made an effort to be there, and Tony knew once they started finally trusting each other and working as a cohesive unit, it would most likely become their only training day.

Sundays were by far his favourite though. In the mornings Tony was on a strict schedule with Maria of testing and basically messing around with his newfound powers. He'd become quite good at focusing the electricity he seemed to be producing, but couldn't yet manipulate it in any way. 

The afternoons had become abit of a theater for them. Happy had asked Natasha for some help refreshing his hand-to-hand combat, and being the tight lipped spy she was, everyone knew in minutes and got a good laugh out of the these sessions. There was just something about watching the tiny but deadly woman throwing the large-built man around the ring that was hilarious. They were just lucky Happy took it in good sport.

"I'm starting to think you like getting your ass kicked." Rhodey jibed as Tony took a seat next to him, letting Happy resume his place in the ring. 

"If I'm gonna die, killed by possibly the best spy to have ever lived isn't the worst way." Tony retorted, reaching for his water bottle.

Rhodey was silent for a moment before a serious look took over his face. 

"... So I had a funny little experience this morning Tones, apparently the council are under the impression that Zemo was killed in retrieving your dying carcass. Now, who could possibly have given them that idea?" 

Tony coughed awkwardly and looked away.

"No clue what you're on about platypus."

"So it's not Zemo that's now mysteriously occupying one of the Alpha block cells? That until that point had no inhabitants?"

Tony just hummed.   
.............................

They walked together in silence, save for the low whirring of Rhodey's leg braces. Alpha block was one of many smaller outer and underground buildings, the closest to the main compound but still a brisk walk away. 

Tony absentmindedly looked at the surrounding wildlife on the grounds, trees providing dense cover from most surveillance. He looked without really taking anything in, mind buzzing with possibilities. He sincerely doubted this meeting would end well. 

"How did you find out?" Tony broke the silence.

"FRIDAY likes me more than you, don't even kid yourself." Rhodey huffed, a small smirk breaking apart the anger on his face. 

Tony laughed, but said nothing else.

"...so why the secrecy? I can't say I understanding your reasoning so far but family first. I wouldn't have ratted you out without talking first." 

"I didn't even know he was there to start with. Hap didn't know what to do with him while I was out so just shoved him in there, max security, until I woke up. After that I... I felt bad for the guy Honeybear," Tony paused and took a deep breath, "his whole family;wife, kids, parents - all wiped out by the mess in Sokovia, and I know what it's like to lose yourself in revenge. We've all done stupid shit, and I'm not saying he should come out of everything Scot-free but hell, you know I'm a sucker for second chances." 

Rhodey hummed in consideration and said no more.

It was only minutes later they arrived at the entrance to Alpha block, a small metal shed that concealed an elevator going three floors below surface. Alpha block was state of the art in terms of holding cells, and at Tony's insistence rather comfortable for a prison. It was originally designed to hold anyone stupid enough to try and infiltrate the compound, or accommodate for the loss of control of one of their more supernaturally inclined heroes. 

They descended in silence, tension building as Rhodey got his game face on. Stepping out of the elevator, they made short work of the corridor and arrived at the cell holding one Helmut Zemo.

"How's he been Fri?" Tony asked, loitering at the door. 

Tony was in no way prepared for this meeting, he was planning to at least leave it another week or two before letting anyone else know he was here.

"Mr Zemo has been quiet as usual boss, polite to the guards, eating his meals.... I'd almost say he's content." The emotion in FRIDAY's voice made Tony intensely proud, but he did not have time to dwell on it.

"Content? The fucker's a terrorist." Rhodey spat, glaring at the ceiling like most did when talking to FRIDAY.

"... So are we to most people Rhodey, what he's done isn't right, but let's not pretend we're all Angel's here." Tony spoke firmly and resolutely, effectively ending their conversation.

Tony pressed a hand forward to swing open the door, and they silently filtered into the room. 

Zemo was laying on the bed, eyes closed and body relaxed. He turned his head and cranked one eye open.

"A little early for lunch is it not?" Zemo's accent was strong, made heavier from his rasping throat.

"Just a tad... that's not why we're here." Tony said in way of greeting, gingerly taking a seat on the edge of the small desk in the room - one of it's only features.

Rhodey stood resolute in the doorway, glaring at both other men in turn.

"Yes Tony, so why don't you tell Mr Terrorist here why exactly he's being kept, I'm quite keen to find out too."

Tony winced, yep Rhodey was well and truly aggravated. Feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed, lips in a tight disappointed press - Rhodey looked every bit the fierce military colonel he was. 

"Well, heh, you see I had a premonition of sorts - back when Maximoff poked her telepathic nose in - and I can't explain it but I know it was real. Something's coming, something big, and we need to be ready for it." Tony paused for breath and stood upright, adrenaline pushing his speech. 

"Rhodey you know FRIDAY's kept files on all potential assets -more than just heroes, we need spies, tacticians, commanders. Before you started the bomb-building -" he abruptly turned to Zemo, whose body was still reclined but eyes were alert. "You had a file; Helmut Zemo, former commander of EKO Scorpion, decorated soldier, tactical expert - you proved your hype when you played terrorist. Your actions are unquestionably immoral but you showed tremendous skill, you brought down a group of supposedly the best team on the planet." 

Tony had gone into lecture mode, speech getting faster and faster by the second. Rhodey coughed to slow him, and gave him a hard stare.

"They wouldn't let us use him, even if any of us agreed to it which I sure as all hell wouldn't." Rhodey almost shouted.

"That's the thing platypus, they kind of think he's dead." Tony shrugged before continuing towards Zemo, "Ironman is kept alive by my hope to ever made amends for the shit I've caused in life, you have the choice to do the same - if you want it. We can easily ship you off to some prison in the ass-end of nowhere if you'd prefer." 

Tony tried to keep a serious face as he strode from the room, not allowing Zemo the opportunity to reply - not yet. Rhodey huffed angrily and stomped after Tony.

Just under a mile away, Happy was sure he could hear Rhodey yelling.  
..............................

The intense dry heat hit Pepper full-body as she stepped off the quinjet, Starkpad tucked neatly under her arm along with several Accords papers. 

She clattered across the runway faintly, heading towards the intimidating but beautiful Dora Milaje. This was the first time Pepper had seen one away from the King's presence, but was no less awed. Their strength was always palpable, and there was nothing Pepper admired more than strong women. 

"Good Afternoon Miss Potts, my name is Okoye, I will be your guide and companion for your time in Wakanda." 

She was only scheduled to stay the afternoon, but could easily guess Okoye was more of a guard than a guide.

"Good afternoon Okoye, thank you for your hospitality." Pepper's words were measured and formal, polite as always when in unfamiliar territory.

Okoye led Pepper through the great halls leading to the palace from the private runway. It was as grander than anywhere she'd been before, gleaming metal and stone integrated seamlessly with technology. Tony would've loved it I-a shame, she thought.

Next they walked through the palace; passing halls, stairways, and a large door through to another wing guarded by four guards - suspicious, Pepper noted privately, but not unexpected for royalty.

Finally Okoye stopped before a set of offices, all visible through wall-to-wall glass with metallic finishes. T'Challa sat in one of them, at the head of a large round black table, surrounded by his usual retinue of Dora plus one shorter and much more brightly dressed girl holding a pad of her own.

T'challa rose when Pepper entered, and offered her a stilted but warm greeting that she immediately distrusted. 

"Miss Potts, it's a pleasure to see you as always, please take a seat," he gestured to the table, retaking his seat and waving the shorter girl over to sit as well, "this is my sister, Princess Shuri, she has been taking an active role in the accords and wished to join us."

Pepper nodded professionally at the girl, and in return Shuri sat up straighter and nodded back seriously.

"Of course, good afternoon Princess Shuri.... Now I understand you must be a busy man, both as a hero and a king, so I will get straight to the point. There are two topics I need to discuss with you; first some small accords amendments."

They then spent the next hour picking through the small changes that had been made since T'Challa's last appearance before the council. Most of it was just wording changes and legalese, but had to be signed off by every hero working under the Accords. 

Princess Shuri showed great enthusiasm for the accords, and Pepper privately thought they might just be able to make an ally out of Wakanda yet, even with a misguided king. 

"That all seems to be in order miss Potts," T'challa spoke genuinely, voice upbeat like they were perhaps friends (a thought which made Pepper feel vaguely nauseated given his treatment of Tony) "what is the other matter you wished to bring up?"

Pepper coughed gently, clearing her throat and looking at T'challa with her most penetrating blue stare. 

"This is something that perhaps would be better discussed without company, as it pertains to your actions as the Black Panther - not as king."

T'challa considered her words for a moment, and apprehensively nodded. He waved the Dora away to wait outside and shot a begging look towards Shuri - he could not order her to leave, he'd learned his lesson on that quickly and painfully.

Shuri sighed and offered a feline smile to Pepper, full of genuine warmth but still a predator's grin. She then rose with all the grace of a Princess and stomped out the room without another word.

"So T'challa, while your efforts as both king and hero have been greatly appreciated and heralded by the public, and even the council are appreciative of all you've done to help bring the world into a more peaceful time, there is still one event that is causing concern." Pepper paused for effect, every ounce of public speaking confidence running through her.

"And what may that be Miss Potts?"

"Siberia, namely your decision to allow Roger's and Barnes to escape to... wherever they may be now, and your decision to not intervene during their assault on Iron Man." 

T'challa bristled at once, "I would not call it an assault Miss Potts, given both parties were throwing punches." 

"Two super soldiers against one regular human -with specialised armour I'll admit- is not a fair fight. Mr Stark sustained lethal injuries in the fight which could have very easily been prevented had someone stepped in."

T'Challa slumped back in his chair, a hand coming up to run over his face in a weary gesture.

"It was not my intention for Mr Stark to be so greviously injured - I truly believed he could hold his own in such a fight and left under the assumption that he would have at the very least called in assistance."

"Assistance such as another accords-signed hero perhaps?"

"I was...incapable of making many rational decisions at the time Miss Potts, my mind was shadowed by grief and I had only revenge in mind. For that I am deeply sorry, but even now I am unsure whether apprehending Rogers and Barnes would have been the right thing. I -"

Pepper held a hand up to stop him, distinctly unimpressed with his reasoning.

"The so-called Rogues are fugitives, they will be found, and they will be punished for their crimes. I truly am sorry for the loss of your father, and I'm sure the council will be lenient towards your actions in Siberia given your grief, but do not misunderstand me your Highness; your actions were wrong and Stark Industries may forgive, but we never forget."

Pepper rose from her seat and gave one final nod in parting, stepping out of the room and walking quickly back the way she came.

Okoye almost ran to catch up with her from her position with the rest of the Dora at the doorway, and fell in step with Pepper without missing a beat. 

"I hope your time in Wakanda has been productive Miss Potts." Okoye spoke softly above the hustle and bustle of those working around the winding corridors.

Pepper huffed out a laughed and tiredly rubbed at her eyes. She knew her mascara would've smeared but couldnt find it within herself to care. 

Pepper was truly ready to go home now.


	9. Author's notice

So unfortunately I've come to the decision to put this story on HIATUS for the time being, for several reasons. I had the majority of this plotted and written out and then my shitty laptop decided to give me a clean start. At the moment I have no inspiration to try and track where I was heading with this and finish it up. 

All is not lost though! I do have tentative plans to begin afresh and possibly return to MCU with a similar but new idea - so if you liked this one then watch out for my next!

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter: Nick Fury really is done babysitting.


End file.
